MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Freshman lefthander Macie Welch (2-3) tossed five strong innings in relief, Southern Arkansas rallied from a 3-1 deficit to lead 4-3 after four and then proceeded to pile on runs in the fifth and sixth innings to topple Ouachita and sweep the Great American Conference series with an 11-4 outcome on midday Monday from Dawson Field inside the Dr. Margaret Downing Softball Complex. The victory improves SAU to 15-11 overall and 8-3 in league play and moves the Muleriders into a tie with Southeastern Oklahoma State for the top spot in the GAC standings.
 
Welch's efforts in the circle backed the start of grad transfer Baylie Thornhill who worked through trouble in the top of the first inning to strand a pair of Ouachita base runners after the Tigers struck for two runs on three hits in the frame. Thornhill tossed a perfect second inning before being relieved in the third. Welch allowed only two hits, neither of the two runs that crossed were earned and she struck out four.
 
Offensively, the Muleriders stranded two base runners in the first after Madison Miller put SAU on the board with a sacrifice fly that plated Jade Miller, left one runner on in the second and two more in the third before finally breaking through with three runs in the fourth. Southern Arkansas placed the leadoff batter on in each of its six trips to the plate on Monday.
 
Trailing 3-1 in the fourth, both Tiare Lee and Mariah Hamilton walked to jumpstart the frame. A sacrifice bunt by Makana Morton pushed Lee and pinch runner Viviana Zarzoza to third and second, respectively, before a sacrifice fly from J. Miller scored Lee and brought SAU to within a run of the Ouachita lead at 3-2 with two outs in the inning.
 
Just like on Sunday, timely hitting was the difference as Alese Casper doubled to centerfield to score Zarzoza and then scored herself moments later as she was waved in on a single through the left side off the bat of Jaxynn Dyson.
 
With the lead, Welch worked a clean fifth, allowed an unearned run in the sixth and pitched around a one-out hit in the seventh, while her teammates continued to push across runs. A sacrifice fly from Hamilton which plated pinch runner Ava Dunn and a two-out, two-run blast by J. Miller, her eighth of the season, accounted for the three runs in the fifth.
 
In the sixth, Dyson singled to start the four-run frame. Gracie King doubled to left centerfield to score Dyson and King would score on a double-play groundout moments later. The late-inning surge offensively was capped in Hamilton's at bat as she hammered a two-out pitch over the berm in left field for the final two runs of the afternoon.
 
The top four hitters in head coach Jason Anderson's order all delivered two hits and scored a run with leadoff hitter J. Miller crossing home twice and delivering three RBI. Hamilton recorded three RBI and Lee scored three times. SAU walked seven times in the win. The Muleriders have plated ten plus runs in each of their past four wins after having only scored ten runs once in the team's previous 11 victories.
 
SAU plays host to East Central in a GAC series this weekend in Magnolia. Friday's DH is scheduled for a 3 p.m. start with Saturday's finale set for 1 p.m. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.