MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas, which is hosting just its third regional tournament since 2009, couldn't have asked for a better atmosphere heading into Thursday night's NCAA postseason opener against No. 7 seed Washburn as a near capacity crowd filed into Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field to witness the start of the Muleriders' 14^th NCAA tournament run. However, it didn't look good for the host early on after a slow start resulted in a 9-2 deficit through two and a half innings of play and saw SAU trail 10-5 through five frames. Enter freshman southpaw Hayden Hable. His career-best five-inning relief effort coupled with a pesky offensive approach helped the Muleriders wrest a 12-11 win from the Ichabods on a remarkable night that resulted in sixth-year head coach Justin Pettigrew capturing his 200^th career win; all of which have come at Southern Arkansas.
 
The Muleriders (42-11) manufactured a seven-run eighth inning to carry a 12-10 lead into the ninth and would hold off the Ichabods (33-21) who exploded out of the gate against consensus Central Region Pitcher of the Year Jeremy Adorno in the program's first ever NCAA postseason appearance. Adorno finished with four strikeouts to become the Great American Conference's single-season record holder as he currently sits at 128 in 15 starts. 
 
Hable, who nearly doubled his career production in innings pitched, entered in relief to start the fourth inning and worked a quick 1-2-3 inning and was nearly flawless in the fifth through eighth innings of action as he allowed just one hit, one unearned run and two walks, while fanning four before exiting as the pitcher of record following the bottom half explosion by his teammates in the eighth. 
 
A first inning sacrifice fly and a second inning RBI single both off the bat of freshman Brandon Nicoll accounted for the Muleriders' first two runs and following the Ichabods' second three-run blast of the evening and third home run of the game which came in the top of the third, SAU used a trio of solo shots from senior Tucker Burton, sophomore Chris Lyles and junior Riley Orr, to climb back into the contest now facing just a four-run deficit at 9-5 through three.  
 
SAU stranded a combined five runners on base in the first and second innings, utilized the aforementioned third to cut into the deficit, stranded two more in the fourth after recording back-to-back walks to lead off the inning and managed just one base runner in ten trips to the plate in the fifth through seventh innings.
 
But the eighth. Hable pitched around a one out walk that reached second and punched out a pair to hold the score at 10-5 and set the table for a frenzied rally in the home half. Junior Conner Allen walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch and Orr walked to put runners at first and second with none gone in the frame. Sophomore Chris Sutton was then hit-by-pitch for the second straight plate appearance to load the bases.
 
With one out, Nicoll delivered a two-run double, his 22^nd of the season which stands tied for the fifth most in a single campaign in program history, into the gap in left centerfield. Senior Jacob Martinez drew a walk in a pinch-hit opportunity to again load the bases and Manning traded places with Nicoll as he placed a two-run two bagger just out of the reach of a diving attempt in right centerfield field to pull the Muleriders to within a run at 10-9.
 
There's undoubtedly been some big blasts to leave Walker Stadium over the years and Burton's towering three-run shot, his 18^th of the season and the most by a Mulerider since the '17 season, which immediately followed Manning's double will not soon be forgotten as it capped the seven-run frame, ignited a raucous Mulerider faithful and pushed Southern Arkansas out front 12-10 with the ninth looming.
 
Sophomore Isaiah Haynes collected his fourth save of the season as he fended off the Ichabods late with two swinging strikeouts including one to end the game with the tying and go-ahead runs at second and first, respectively.
 
Orr led all players with three hits and three runs scored. Nicoll and Burton each delivered two hits and four RBI. McGee walked twice to become the GAC's career leader in base on balls with 145. The two free passes push his season total to 51 which is the third-most in a single season in program history and the most by a Mulerider since the 2011 campaign. 
 
Southern Arkansas and Henderson State will meet for the sixth time this season on Friday night in Magnolia. The stakes are undoubtedly higher than they've been in quite some time between the two Natural State foes as the winner moves into Saturday's 6 p.m. sub-regional title game where the loser's bracket survivor will need to win twice to advance to the Central Region Super. First-pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.