MAGNOLIA, Ark. – An out call that ended the top of the ninth inning was overturned and moments later a Texas leaguer off the bat of Aaron Gaela plated the go-ahead run for Arkansas-Monticello and it would be enough a half frame later as #26/28 Southern Arkansas dropped its Great American Conference series opener with the Weevils 4-3 on Friday night from Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field.
SAU starting pitcher
Zach Smith fanned ten UAM hitters, scattered eight hits and four walks, while working around two baserunners in the second, three in the third and two more in the fourth. He pitched through the sixth inning after stranding two more Weevils. It was Smith's second straight outing with a double-digit K total.
UAM took a 3-0 lead after pushing across two runs in the third inning and adding a single run in the fourth. In the bottom half of the third inning, sophomore
Brett McGee scored on a wild pitch, senior
Mason Peterson plated sophomore
Ty Manning and Peterson was chased home on a passed ball to account for the offensive production by the Muleriders in game one.
UAM starter Mason Philley worked 7.0 innings with nine strikeouts and three walks. Ojani Chacon worked in relief to pick up the win, while SAU freshman
Santos Sosa received the loss after tossing 3.0 innings allowing just one hit and one walk with five strikeouts.
Senior
Kobe Morris delivered two of SAU's seven hits; all of which were singles. Pinch hitter
Chris Sutton extended the action with two outs in the ninth with his third hit of the season.
The Muleriders and Weevils conclude the series on Saturday with a doubleheader scheduled for a 2 p.m. start. Prior to first pitch, the six seniors on this year's club;
Austin Baker,
Matt Kortendick,
Kobe Morris,
Zach Muldoon,
Mason Peterson, and
Zach Smith, will be honored. Additionally, the Johnson Family will be recognized following the senior day ceremonies for their generosity in helping make the Johnson-Dawson Player Development Facility inside Walker Stadium become a reality. Live coverage links are available at
www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
