ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Junior right-hander
Jacob Womack worked seven innings and tallied a dozen strikeouts and #11/5 Southern Arkansas used a two-run home run off the bat of junior
Riley Orr, who led the way offensively with three hits, to tie the game in the fifth and a go-ahead solo shot by junior
Conner Allen in the post-stretch seventh to slip by Northwest Missouri 4-2 for the second time in five days in the nightcap of day one at the Henderson State Invitational. SAU improves to 3-1 on the season.
Through four innings on the hill in his second start of the young campaign, Womack (1-1) allowed just one hit, while facing the minimum after receiving some friendly help in the field from his teammates behind him in the first inning, in addition to junior catcher
Brett McGee hosing an NWMSU baserunner in the fourth.
Womack ran into a little trouble in the fifth as the Bearcats produced the game's first runs with two crossing in the frame on an RBI double down the left field that plated the first run and a single into right center that scored NWMSU's second run.
Southern Arkansas quickly answered in the home half of the fifth as Orr, with two outs in his at bat and junior
Ty Manning at second base after a one-out double down the left field line, lifted a pitch out to left center field for a two-run blast that evened the affair at 2-2.
In the sixth and seventh innings, Womack cruised as he struck out four of the six batters he faced to give him a dozen for the outing. Sophomore
Santos Sosa took over in the eighth and continued the exceptional pitching display by the Muleriders as he faced just one over the minimum while striking out two and allowing just one hit.
Following the stretch, it was two-out hitting that sent SAU out front of its MIAA opponent. Allen's go-ahead homer came with two outs and in the next at bat, Orr tripled and was chased home on a single by sophomore
Chris Sutton to give Sosa more than enough cushion as he earned the save.
Southern Arkansas returns to action on Saturday at HSU. The Muleriders meet Pittsburg State at 6 p.m. from Clyde Berry Field. Live coverage links are available at
www.MuleriderAthletics.com.