RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – It was a tough afternoon for #10 Southern Arkansas as the Muleriders dropped a pair of games to Arkansas Tech on Saturday in Great American Conference action. SAU was unable to keep the momentum following a four-run first inning in the series opener and eventually fell 10-6. In the second game, the Wonder Boys walked off SAU with a two-out blast to left centerfield in the ninth inning of the scheduled seven-inning affair.
 
In the opener, the Muleriders (4-4, 2-3 GAC) quickly jumped on the scoreboard as a pair of two-run home runs out to right centerfield from the bats of senior Kobe Morris and sophomore Brett McGee staked SAU starting pitcher Zach Smith to a 4-0 lead through an inning of action.
 
Arkansas Tech (7-5, 5-0) scratched its first run in the home half of the second inning on a sacrifice fly by Josh Detweiler. Detweiler pushed across two more runs for the Wonder Boys with a triple in the fourth inning and in the same frame Tech moved back even with the Muleriders as the former was chased home on an RBI-single from Drew Bailey.
 
In the fifth inning, Southern Arkansas broke the 4-4 tie off of Tech starter Patrick Miner as sophomore Ty Manning doubled into left field to bring home Morris and junior Jacob Martinez to give the Muleriders a 6-4 advantage.
 
The Wonder Boys took the lead in the sixth as two of the three two-out runs scored on throwing errors. An RBI-single by Garrett Crews pushed Bailey across to give Tech the lead in the series opener for good.
 
Tech opened up the scoring in the seventh as a two-run home run by Crews put the Wonder Boys up 9-6. ATU added a single run in the eighth inning to take the opener 10-6.
 
Morris, senior Austin Baker and junior Josh Walker each had two hits in the first game of the day. Morris and Martinez scored two runs each and Morris, McGee and Manning each delivered two RBI. Smith took the loss after tossing 5.2 innings with seven runs on six hits with four strikeouts and three walks. Sophomore Remy Bilodeau pitched the final 2.1 giving up three runs on two hits with one strikeout and a walk.
 
In game two, Detweiler homered with a runner on to give Tech a 2-0 lead in the second inning. In the fourth, Walker singled home junior Tucker Burton and the next batter, sophomore Riley Orr, belted a three-run shot that gave the Muleriders a 4-2 lead through four.
 
The Wonder Boys tied the game at 4 in the fifth on an RBI single and a passed ball and took the series with the aforementioned blast from the bat of Evan Hafley in the ninth.
 
Burton led SAU with two hits, both doubles and he, along with Walker, Orr and sophomore Conner Allen, each accounted for a run scored. Sophomore starter Parker Abrego fanned five with no walks and allowed eight hits and four runs in 4.1 innings in a no decision. Senior Matt Kortendick took the loss after throwing the final 4.1 with three strikeouts, five walks and the lone hit.
 
Southern Arkansas and Arkansas Tech meet for the third time on Sunday for a single nine-inning game scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch. Live coverage links for the series finale are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.