MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas claimed the Great American Conference series over Ouachita on Saturday afternoon from Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field as the Muleriders won the series rubber match over the Tigers with a 5-2 win. SAU (8-5, 5-4 GAC) dropped game two 7-3, but received an impressive relief effort from sophomore Remy Bilodeau in the finale to claim the series.
 
In the series finale, the Muleriders scored first as Baker reached and advanced to second because of a throwing error from the hot corner and promptly scored as Morris lifted a pitch off the bottom of the left centerfield wall for an RBI double and the game's first run. Senior Zach Muldoon then singled home Morris as SAU led 2-0 after one inning.
 
The Muleriders added to their lead in the second inning as Orr laced a double down the left field line to score sophomore Ty Manning. With Orr at second and no outs in the frame, Ouachita worked around the potential jam once against as the single run was the lone blemish for the Tigers in the home half of the second.
 
In the fifth inning, Burton doubled down the right field line to plate Morris and cushion the SAU lead and in the sixth, the Muleriders added their final run on a balk that plated freshman Chris Lyles. Burton recorded two of the team's six hits in game three and Morris scored two of the five runs as four players accounted for the RBI.
 
Bilodeau tossed the final 2.2 innings and walked just one batter while fanning four. He relieved Santos Sosa who picked up the win after 2.1 innings in relief of starter James Janco who delivered a solid start.
 
In game one, Southern Arkansas opened scoring on the afternoon as junior Tucker Burton left the yard out to right centerfield with a two-out blast that plated sophomore Riley Orr who reached on an error to lead off the inning. That run support backed SAU starting pitcher Parker Abrego who tossed 6.1 innings in Saturday afternoon's opener.
 
Abrego was perfect the first time through the Tiger lineup, but met some resistance from the Ouachita order in the top of the fourth inning. A solo home run to lead off the frame put the Tigers on the scoreboard and back-to-back walks set the table for an RBI single and a RBI groundout on a double play ball that staked Ouachita to a 3-2 advantage.
 
The Tigers added a single run in the fifth inning off of Abrego and scratched a one run in the seventh off of Mulerider reliever Jacob Womack to go up 5-2.
 
Senior Kobe Morris led off the post-stretch seventh with a solo home run to pull the SAU deficit back to two runs at 5-3, but Ouachita struck for two more runs in the visiting half of the eighth inning on a squeeze play with the bases loaded that plated one run and led to a second runner scoring as Ouachita took a 7-3 lead and forced the series' rubber match.
 
The Muleriders hit the road for Tyler, Texas, on Tuesday, March 16 for a 4 p.m. doubleheader with #17/13 UT-Tyler. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.