MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Freshmen right handers Sydney Ward and Kiana Pogroszewski each punched out eight batters and limited Oklahoma Baptist to a combined six hits across 12 innings of action on Friday evening from inside the Dr. Margaret Downing Softball Complex and Southern Arkansas supported the respective circle efforts by plating a dozen runs on a collective 15 hits to earn a 9-0 win in five innings in the opener and a 3-0 victory in game two to claim the Great American Conference series.  
 
In five innings in the opener, Ward (13-3) allowed just two hits and walked two in five innings of work for her seventh complete game and second individual shutout of the campaign. Ward pitched through an early two-runner threat in the second to cruise late. In the second game, Pogroszewski (11-4) tossed all seven innings and surrendered just four hits and a walk in her eighth complete game of the season and fourth individual shutout. She worked around two base runners in both the fourth and fifth innings to pick up the victory.
 
Pogroszewski eclipsed the century mark in strikeouts and enters Saturday with 102, while Ward is just two punch outs back of 100 for the season.
 
In the opener, sophomore Alyssa Miller jumpstarted both run-scoring frames as a leadoff double on the first pitch she saw sparked a three-run frame in the bottom of the third, while a hammered line drive to third base with one out in the fourth led to a six-run inning that engaged the run-rule which Ward enacted after a 1-2-3 fifth.
 
Sophomore Jaxynn Dyson singled up the middle to plate two, including Miller, to open scoring in the third and with one out in the inning, senior Alese Casper singled in a run to give Ward a 3-0 advantage heading into the fourth.
 
Senior Jade Miller singled home Alyssa Miller with two outs in the fourth and Southern Arkansas would add five more runs in the frame as senior Madison Miller plated Jade Miller and Casper doubled home Dyson. The exclamation point came moments later as freshman Gracie King lifted a three-run blast to centerfield; her fourth of the season.
 
In game two, the difference was a pair of run-scoring doubles: the first from senior Taylor Murphy in the second and the second from Jade Miller in the fourth which sandwiched a run-scoring single by freshman Mariah Hamilton in that two-run second inning.
 
The Muleriders and the Bisons conclude the series on Saturday at high noon from Dawson Field inside the Dr. Margaret Downing Softball Complex. Senior Day festivities honoring this year's seven Mulerider Softball senior student-athletes will begin at 11:50. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.