CLEVELAND, Miss. – Sophomore left hander Jonny Vesevick fired six innings and allowed just six base runners in his first career start as a Mulerider and #9/11 Southern Arkansas used a three-run fourth inning to cushion the southpaw's efforts in a 5-2 win over #11 Delta State on Wednesday evening from Ferriss Field.
 
The Muleriders (26-7) got over the midweek hump after having lost four straight nonweekend contests and picked up its second such win this season and second east of the big river. Southern Arkansas collected six hits in the win with the No. 4 through No. 6 hitters in the lineup, Jakob Machuca, Chris Lyles and Tucker Burton, accounting for the half dozen base knocks. Lyles led the team with three and Machuca delivered the lone extra base hit which was a two-out double in the pre-stretch seventh that led to SAU's fifth run.
 
Vesevick worked around an unearned run in the bottom of the first inning as well as base runners in the second, third, fifth and sixth frames to pick up his first career win. He struck out five batters including the final out in a fourth inning of work that needed just 11 pitches to get the Muleriders back into the dugout.
 
Hayden Hable worked a third of an inning and Isaiah Haynes earned the save, his first as a Mulerider, after he tossed the final 2.2 allowing only one walk with five strikeouts as he faced the minimum after receiving a double play in the seventh, while fanning the side swinging in the eighth.
 
The Muleriders hit the road this weekend for three more high stakes Great American Conference games as Harding welcomes in SAU for a 6 p.m. opener on Friday night (4/8) with the series being decided with a Saturday (4/9) doubleheader. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.