MONTICELLO, Ark. – #6/4 Southern Arkansas dropped its Great American Conference series and the regular season finale 4-2 to Arkansas-Monticello on Saturday afternoon. The Muleriders cap the regular season at 37-11 with a 27-6 mark in league play. The 37 total wins in the regular season are the most since 2018, while the 27 GAC victories are the most since the 2017 team won 28 games and it marks the fifth-straight season with at least 20 wins against league competition.
 
The Muleriders found the scoreboard in the fifth as freshman Jakob Machuca homered, his ninth of the season, with one out to cut the deficit down to two runs. The second run came in the eighth with two outs as junior Riley Orr singled into left field to plate sophomore Chris Lyles.
 
The aforementioned three Muleriders accounted for the four hits on Saturday with Machuca leading with two. Lyles stole his fifth base of the season.
 
Junior Jack Liddell worked the first three innings, junior Parker Abrego tossed a hitless three innings with three strikeouts and Isaiah Haynes pitched the final two frames allowing one hit and a run, while picking up a strikeout.
 
Southern Arkansas, the GAC's regular season champion, will carry the No. 1 seed into the conference tournament next weekend in Hot Springs. More information on the matchup will be available soon at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.