DURANT, Okla. – After senior right hander Zach Smith's complete game effort on Friday night, it is as if the Southern Arkansas pitching staff challenged itself to push out two more quality pitching performances on Saturday against Southeastern Oklahoma and –bada bing bada boom­– the Muleriders used 8.1 strong innings from sophomore right hander Jacob Womack in the front half of the doubleheader and then followed that with another 5.2 strong innings from sophomore right hander Remy Bilodeau in the series finale. The Muleriders claimed game two 5-3 and earned the series sweep with an 8-2 victory in the seven-inning affair.
 
Southern Arkansas (15-5, 11-4 GAC) has won eight straight games and 11 of their past 12. At the halfway point of the regular season, the Muleriders have moved into a three-way tie with Oklahoma Baptist and Arkansas Tech for first place in the Great American Conference standings.
 
Womack nearly matched Smith's nine-inning showing from the day before as he dispersed eight hits, two walks and three hit-by-pitch, while picking up five strikeouts in a career-high 8.1 innings of work. Three of the eight hits and all three earned runs came in the second inning as the Savage Storm tied the game at 3-3 through two innings of play.
 
In addition to the three hits allowed by Womack in the second inning, SOSU recorded two hits in the home half of the first. From the third inning through the eighth, Womack allowed only two hits, a walk and two HBP. He worked a perfect fourth and eighth innings, worked around a runner at third base with a one-run lead in the fifth, used a 6-3 line out double play to end the sixth and a 5-4-3 double play to conclude the seventh.
 
Freshman reliever Santos Sosa took over with one out in the ninth and used a fielder's choice and a fly out to close out the contest and give the Muleriders the series.
 
With solid pitching showcased by SAU through the series' first 18 innings, the Muleriders tossed the ball to Bilodeau in game three and he undoubtedly delivered. He worked 5.2 innings surrendering five hits and three walks with seven strikeouts. Through four innings, the only blemishes on his stat line were a walk in the second inning and single in the fourth as he faced two over the minimum.
 
Two hits in the fifth supplied the Savage Storm's first run of the series finale, but offensively the Muleriders had already provided more than enough run support to back the start as SAU took a 1-0 lead after the first inning and plated four runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth.
 
With the bases loaded for SOSU in the sixth inning, sophomore reliever Maddux Solomon tossed a fly out to end the threat and worked around a one-out double by delivering back-to-back swinging strikeouts to end the game in the seventh.
 
Offensively, the Muleriders continued to produce as the squad combined to plate 13 runs on 19 hits across 16 innings of play on Saturday. Senior Kobe Morris, who over the last month has given opponent pitching staffs a vindicated trepidation of solid contact, led Southern Arkansas with three hits in each game of the doubleheader.
 
Morris recorded three of SAU's eight extra-base hits as he collected two doubles and a home run while stealing two bases as well. He scored four runs and recorded an RBI. Junior Tucker Burton hit a double and a home run as did sophomore Ty Manning who finished the DH with four hits. Senior Austin Baker recorded three hits and his next base knock (No. 209) will move him into a tie for eighth place with T. Ritz (1989-92) on the program's all-time hits list.
 
Southern Arkansas heads to Arkadelphia next weekend for a three-game league series with Henderson State (12-8, 9-6 GAC) which will enter the series in a three-way tie for fourth place in the GAC standings. The series opener is set for a 6 p.m. start on Friday, April 2. Saturday's doubleheader is slated for a 1 p.m. start. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.