CLINTON, Miss. – The Mulerider Baseball team suffered a blow in Clinton this afternoon as they fell 3-16 to the Mississippi College Choctaws in 7 innings. The Muleriders will return to action this weekend against Harding University at Goodheart Field. Live coverage will be available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
Southern Arkansas Notes
*Brett McGee, Jakob Machuca, Chris Lyles and Jackson Duke all recorded a single hit for the Muleriders with the latter three notching the Muleriders' three RBI.
*Southern Arkansas found themselves on the board early. Jakob Machuca and Chris Lyles combined efforts to give the Muleriders an early 2-0 lead in the Tuesday afternoon matchup. McGee recorded SAU's first hit of the day and quickly found himself in scoring position after Nicoll reached on a fielder's choice and advanced McGee to second. Machuca singled to right, scoring McGee in the process. Lyles brought home run number two with a sac fly to score Nicoll.
*Hayden Hable recorded a quick eight pitch first inning. The sophomore struck out the first and last batters he faced. Hable allowed 4 runs in 2.1 innings to earn his first loss of his career.
*SAU snagged their third run in the fourth when Duke singled to score Lyles who had walked earlier in the inning.
Mississippi College Notes
*The Choctaws got on the board in the second after a busy start to the inning. JT Vance singled in their first plate appearance, but went down as Mississippi College's first out when Alex McWhorter found himself at first on a fielder's choice. Jrdan Rollins walked to advance McWhorter to second and both advanced a base on a wild pitch. Bryce LaRocca grounded out to third but forced across the Choctaws first run in the process.
*MC took off in the third inning, tying the game before a SAU pitching change that led to the Choctaws taking a 4-run lead. Four runners reached in consecutive at bats, with none reaching on a hit. Bridley Thomas first reached on an effort then Beau Kirsch reached on a fielder's choice that resulted in Thomas out at second. Caleb Reese was hit by a pitch to advance Kirsch into scoring position. A wild pitch on the fourth pitch to Vance sent him to first and allowed Reese to take second and third and Kirsch to take third and score. A SAU pitching change didn't throw the Choctaws one bit- McWhorter singled to advance Vance to second and score Reese before Rollins knocked a three-run homer to snag the home team a 4-run lead.
*Mississippi College earned base runners in the fourth on a hit and hit by pitch. Reese brought the runners home with the Chocktaws' second home run in two innings.
*Rollins hit his second home run of the game in the fifth inning, this time a solo shot to left center. LaRocca followed with a double and Rhett Birdsong bunt singled to place runners at the corners. Birdsong advanced to second on a throwing error and was able to advance to third on the throw, scoring LaRocca. Thomas wrapped up their three-run inning with a sacrifice fly to score Birdsong.
*Reese walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch to start the sixth. Vance was hit by a pitch and McWhorter singled to score Reese and advanced to second and force Vance to third. LaRocca walked to load the bases for Birdsong who singled. To score Vance. Cody Crifasi walked to score LaRocca and leave the bases loaded for Thomas who brought LaRocca home on a sacrifice fly.
