MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas senior utility player Madison Monson hammered a mammoth pinch hit, two-run homerun in the third inning, the Muleriders received another tremendous outing from freshman right hander Sydney Ward in the circle and SAU cruised to an 8-1 win over Oklahoma Baptist on Saturday afternoon to sweep the Great American Conference series from Dawson Field inside the Dr. Margaret Downing Softball Complex.
 
Monson's blast reenergized the Dawson Field faithful as the Denham Springs, Louisiana native turned on an 0-2 pitch and parked it in the pasture to put SAU up 7-0 in the third. A five-run second inning opened scoring for SAU as senior three doubles helped send the Muleriders out front early.
 
Senior Alese Casper singled on a bunt to third base, freshman Gracie King singled up the middle and the former scored on a double by senior Taylor Murphy. King and Murphy were both plated with one out as sophomore Alyssa Miller doubled down the left field line putting SAU up 3-0 and keeping the table set for sophomore Jaxynn Dyson who doubled home a pair after senior Tiare Lee walked.
 
Dyson would plate the game's final run on a single in the third inning with a single through the left side that put the Muleriders up 8-0.
 
Ward earned her 14^th win of the season after tossing six innings with only two hits, two walks and a run given up. She fanned a dozen which included the side in the second and fourth innings to run her series strikeout tally to 20. Baylie Thornhill worked the seventh and struck out two as she faced the minimum.
 
SAU holds a one-game lead in the league standings with six conference games remaining in the regular season. The Muleriders will travel to Cleveland, Mississippi for two games against Delta State on Tuesday, April 19, before closing out the regular season with back-to-back trips into Oklahoma first at Southern Nazarene and then with Northwestern Oklahoma State.