MAGNOLIA, Ark. – #8/7 Southern Arkansas split Saturday's doubleheader with (RV) Henderson State to claim the Great American Conference series and move to 19-2 in league play. The Muleriders won the first game of the afternoon 11-8, but was unable to hold a late lead in the finale falling 8-6 from Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field.
 
Jeremy Adorno's ninth win of the season came after a 7.1 inning outing that saw the right-hander work around nine hits, three walks and three HBP that aided six HSU runs. Adorno struck out seven and while the final stat line is heavy, he employed a gritty effort that included escaping runners at the corners with no outs in the third, stranding two more in the fifth inning with a strikeout of Bryson Haskins and making quick work of the 2-3-4 hitters in the HSU lineup in the seventh after the Muleriders enjoyed a four-run frame the half inning prior.
 
In Saturday's opener, Henderson State placed two runs on the board early against Adorno as Greyson Stevens hit a two-run homer to put the Reddies up in the first inning.
 
Chris Lyles lifted a pitch for a sacrifice fly that pushed across the Muleriders' first run of the afternoon in the second inning to cut the deficit in half. SAU took the lead for good in a two-run fourth and fortunately added to its advantage with two more runs in the fifth and four runs in the sixth to build a big enough cushion to withstand a six-run eighth inning by the Reddies that pulled the visitors to within a single run at 9-8 through seven and a half innings of play.
 
SAU collected ten hits with eight of those coming from the fourth through sixth innings when the Muleriders pushed across eight runs to carry a 9-2 lead into the seventh. RBI singles from Riley Orr, Ty Manning and Brandon Nicoll as well as an RBI from Tucker Burton and a sacrifice fly by Jakob Machuca, who also had a run-producing double in the fifth, highlighted the action.
 
Following the highly-productive six-run eighth inning from HSU that included five hits, two walks, and a hit-by-pitch, Chris Lyles belted a two-run blast in the home half of the frame to provide much needed insurance runs for reliever Kade Garmany who faced seven batters in 1.2 innings of work to earn his second save of the season.
 
In the finale, HSU again struck early with a four-run frame in the first inning. The Muleriders scratched back two runs in the second as Orr and Nicoll both singled to pull SAU to within two through two innings of play. In the third, Conner Allen cranked a two-run shot to knot the seven-inning affair at 4-4.
 
The teams traded runs in the fifth with an RBI double from Nicoll tying the back-and-forth contest at 5. In the fifth, Brett McGee drew one of his four walks in the game to chase home the sixth and go-ahead run. A throwing error by SAU in the sixth tied the game at 6 and the Reddies took advantage in the seventh to plate two to salvage the series and hand SAU just its second loss in league play through 21 games.
 
Wyatt Marr worked through a four-run, four-hit, and two-walk first inning by Henderson State to allow just three hits, a walk and one run over the next three innings combined before being relieved by Santos Sosa in the fifth. SAU used four pitchers over the next three innings to close out the game.
 
For the day, Nicoll delivered four hits with two doubles, while Machuca and Orr each recorded three. Machuca scored four times, while Nicoll and Lyles each picked up three RBI. McGee posted just one at bat as he drew five walks, four HBP, scored two runs and posted an RBI.
 
The Muleriders and Reddies will face each other again on Tuesday in Arkadelphia. First pitch for the nonconference affair from Clyde Berry Field is scheduled for 6 p.m. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.