Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CONROE, Texas – The 2022 season is officially underway for #16 Southern Arkansas as eighth-year head coach Jason Anderson's Muleriders opened play on Saturday at the Arkansas Tech Winter Invitational from The Scrap Yards in Conroe, Texas. SAU edged St. Mary's 2-1 to win its 12^th straight season opener, but fell in the second game of the day as a comeback against #2 Augustana came up just short.
 
In the season opener, the Muleriders used a fielder's choice into left field off the bat of senior Alese Casper that plated transfer Taylor Murphy to tie the game at a run apiece after the Rattlers struck first on a fielding error back in the bottom half of the first inning.
 
If it had not of been for that fielding error, the RBI by Casper would have been enough for Southern Arkansas on Saturday morning as SAU received a highly efficient complete game effort from freshman transfer Sydney Ward in her Mulerider debut. Ward allowed just four hits, none for extra bases, and a walk as she faced just five over the minimum with three strikeouts.
 
Ward spun a perfect second and third innings, worked around a three-hit frame by St. Mary's in the fifth and operated through the tying run at second in the sixth inning to stave off the Rattlers.
 
Southern Arkansas struck for its final run in the visiting-half of the fifth inning as senior Sarah Evans delivered with two outs with a single through the left side on a 2-1 pitch that chased home junior Viviana Zarzoza from third base. Zarzoza entered as a pinch runner for sophomore Emma Gill who doubled with one out to get the run-scoring frame jumpstarted.
 
Gill recorded two of SAU's seven hits in the win. The 3 through 6 spots in the order also delivered a base knock. Casper and Evans each collected an RBI as the Muleriders won its 12^th straight season opener.
 
Against #2 Augustana, a rematch of a winner's bracket affair at the 2021 Central Region Tournament won by the Vikings, Southern Arkansas plated the game's first run in the top of the first as transfer Jade Miller left the yard out to right centerfield to give the Muleriders an early 1-0 lead. In the second, SAU again used the long ball as sophomore Jaxynn Dyson exited the playing field to left centerfield pushing Southern Arkansas out front 2-0 through an inning and a half.
 
The Vikings took the lead in the home half of the second inning as three runs came courtesy of five hits and a walk. Freshman Macie Welch took over for transfer Baylie Thornhill with Augustana leading 3-2 with one out in the frame and following a single that loaded the bases, she retired the final two batters swinging.
 
AU added a single run in the fifth inning and three more in the sixth to carry a 7-2 lead into the top of the seventh inning. The Muleriders would rally against the nation's second-ranked team as Gill deposited a three-run blast out to right field which plated freshman transfer Gracie King and sophomore Natalie Phillips and brought the deficit down to just two runs with no outs in the frame. J. Miller doubled, Casper walked, but SAU would strand runners at second and third as the comeback effort fell short.
 
Southern Arkansas collected nine hits in the loss with J.Miller recording three, including two for extra bases, and two each coming from Dyson and Madison Miller. Gill accounted for three of SAU's five RBI.
 
Welch proved to be a solid stopper for the Muleriders as she worked 3.2 innings scattering four hits and a walk, while allowing a single unearned run with four strikeouts.
 
The Muleriders are back in action on Sunday with two games slated at the ATU Winter Invitational. SAU plays Texas A&M International at 2 p.m. and meets #18 Angelo State at 4 p.m. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.