MAGNOLIA, Ark. – #8 Southern Arkansas earned its third consecutive Great American Conference series sweep on Saturday from inside Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field as the Muleriders claimed a pair of one-run wins over Arkansas Tech to sweep the Wonder Boys and in the process run its overall winning streak to 15 games and its league-best record to 9-0.
 
In Saturday's opener, the two teams combined for 11 home runs from eight different players, while the final run was pushed across in the tenth inning on an infield single to third off the bat of senior Jacob Martinez that plated freshman Brandon Nicoll.
 
A solo home run for the Wonder Boys opened scoring in the first, while solo blasts off the bat of junior Brett McGee in the first and third innings sandwiched a two-run bomb by freshman Jakob Machuca in the second inning. Trailing 4-1 through three, Tech responded with a two-run shot in the fourth and a solo homer in the sixth to even the game at 4.
 
Senior Tucker Burton's fifth dinger of the week broke the tie with two runs, but two solo home runs from the Wonder Boys prior to the stretch tied the game at 6 and a solo home run in the eighth put Tech on top 7-6. In the bottom of the ninth, junior Ty Manning led off with a solo blast to tie the game at seven and set the stage for Martinez to win it for SAU in the tenth.
 
Mulerider pitchers struck out 14 batters to just two walks in the win with starter Jacob Womack fanning nine. Womack worked six innings dispersing nine hits and withstanding four runs. Sophomore Santos Sosa tossed three innings in relief picking up four strikeouts, while sophomore Chance Bolter pitched the ninth and recorded the win.
 
The series finale saw just slightly less power with four home runs between the clubs including a trio from the Muleriders that accounted for all seven of the team's runs in the win. SAU led 7-4 through five and had to hold off a Tech rally in the seventh to earn the sweep.
 
SAU struck for two runs in both the second and third innings with two-run blasts by Manning in the second and McGee in the third. The Wonder Boys again rallied and managed to tie the game at 4 through four and a half innings, but the Muleriders regained the lead on a three-run round tripper from Nicoll that pushed SAU out front 7-4.
 
Southern Arkansas would hold off the Wonder Boys who were in the middle of a two-run, two-hit inning in the seventh before a 4-3 GDP and a fielder's choice ended the threat. Junior Wyatt Marr worked the first five innings of the finale striking out six, walking four and working around seven hits and four runs. Freshman Evan Schroeder tossed an inning, before Bolter picked up the save by working around two hits in the seventh.
 
On the day, SAU recorded nine extra base hits with eight of those serving as home runs. McGee hit three, Manning hit two and Burton, Machuca and Nicoll all homered once. Manning recorded the lone non-homer extra base hit with a two bagger in the second inning of the first game.
 
McGee scored four times and led SAU with four RBI. Manning and Nicoll crossed home three times and both had three RBI.
 
The Muleriders (15-1, 9-0) sit atop the GAC standings by a single game over Ouachita at 8-1. SAU travels to Arkadelphia for a weekend series with the Tigers on March 11 and 12. Before that league series, Southern Arkansas prepares for a midweek affair at home on Tuesday, March 8 as former Gulf South Conference foe Delta State comes to Magnolia for a 5 p.m. first pitch. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.