MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Junior lefthander Hunter Brantley and true freshman righty Kade Garmany combined for a shutout of Missouri Western on Friday evening as the pair scattered a collective five hits and four walks with 11 total strikeouts to help lead (RV) Southern Arkansas to a 7-0 win over the Griffons in the team's home opener from Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field.
 
The Muleriders (5-0) received 6.0 innings from Brantley (2-0) for the second-consecutive start and then called upon Garmany who worked the final three innings in his second collegiate appearance to earn his first career save.
 
Brantley allowed four hits and three walks, but picked up seven strikeouts including five straight. In his final inning, he worked around runners at second and third, before retiring the final batter he faced on a swinging strikeout. Garmany permitted just a single hit to the seventh batter he faced and he stranded two Griffons in the top of the eighth and one in the ninth to work around the minor threats.
 
SAU's first two runs of the evening came without the benefit of a hit as senior Mason Peterson scored on a stolen bag by sophomore Brett McGee in the home half of the second inning and the former scored again in the bottom of the fourth after the latter reached on a dropped fly ball.
 
Junior Jacob Martinez singled home senior Austin Baker in the fifth inning and McGee left the yard with a hammered solo shot out to centerfield in the sixth as SAU led 4-0 into the seventh inning. Peterson, who finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored and a pair of stolen bases, singled home his lone RBI of the night in the form of senior Kobe Morris following the stretch. An RBI-groundout by junior Cooper King put the Muleriders out front 6-0 and Peterson would score on a Ty Manning single through the left side to cap SAU's scoring on the night.
 
Manning, Martinez and Morris all followed Peterson with two hits each. In addition to his second home run of the season, McGee drew two of SAU's five walks. The Muleriders stole six bases on Friday night; four of those runners came around to score.
 
The series between the Central Region foes continues on Saturday with a doubleheader slated for a 1 p.m. first-pitch. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.