YOUNGSVILLE, La. - For the sixth time under ninth-year head coach Jason Anderson, Southern Arkansas Softball has put together an unbeaten opening weekend (2016-2019, 2021, 2023) as (RV) Muleriders handled its remaining three opponents at the Mardi Gras Invitational to jump out to a 5-0 start in the program's 25th season of competition.
 
The Muleriders (5-0) edged (RV) Drury 2-1 in the first contest on Saturday and followed that victory with a 7-2 win over Midwestern State in the second game of the day. On Sunday, Southern Arkansas stopped #6 Texas A&M-Kingsville 4-2 to wrap up a weekend of action that saw Anderson's squad improve the program's all-time record in the state of Louisiana to 15-9 which includes seven straight wins in the Pelican State.
 
It was a pitching duel in Saturday's opener as the Muleriders and Panthers each turned to their staff ace in a matchup of teams receiving votes in the NFCA DII Preseason Top 25. SAU's Sydney Ward went the distance for the ninth time in her Mulerider career as she surrendered just four hits and two walks while striking out seven for her second win of the season.
 
Ward worked around Drury base runners in the first four innings including a pair in the top half of the first. She put them down in order in the fifth, but the Panthers pushed across its lone run in the sixth as a throwing error and a double helped facilitate the profitable frame for DU.
 
DU's Kristina Betts, one of the top rated arms in DII Softball, went six innings with four hits allowed, four walks and a HBP as SAU managed to push across two runs in the sixth inning to take a late lead in the tightly-contested affair.
 
Those two runs crossed in a big way as first-year Mulerider Emily Shipman doubled into the gap in right center field with two outs in the sixth to plate Emma Farquhar and Gracie King and give SAU a late 2-1 advantage.
 
Ward sat down the Panthers in order in the seventh using a line out, a punch out looking and a ground out back to her in the circle to close the door for a key in-region win.
 
Shipman delivered two of SAU's four hits and both RBI in the win.
 
Against the Mustangs, SAU found the scoreboard early as Mariah Hamilton plated Shipman on an RBI groundout for a 1-0 lead in the second. MSU scored two in the third to take the lead, but the Muleriders grabbed it back for good in the fourth.
 
Kamryn Moctezuma walked with one away in the inning to get the offense started. Hamilton pushed a single through the left side and a single into center field by Ariana Rolle scored Moctezuma. With runners at first and second, Alyssa Miller unleashed both her hot bat and her speed for a three-run, inside-the-park home run to give SAU a 5-2 advantage.
 
In the sixth, the Muleriders struck for two more runs as King singled into center field to score Miller and Jaxynn Dyson and plant SAU firmly out front at 7-2.
 
Morgan McAlexander started for SAU and displaced five hits, two walks and a pair of runs over 3.1 innings. She struck out three, while Baylie Thornhill (W, 1-0) worked the final 3.2 allowing just three hits with four strikeouts.
 
SAU recorded eight hits with Miller's inside-the-park homer the lone extra base knock. She accounted for three of the eight, while five other Muleriders recorded one. Miller recorded three RBI and Kind added a pair. Dyson and Shipman each walked twice and both scored once.
 
In the final action of the weekend, the Muleriders' offense again started early by pushing across a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Shipman doubled with two gone to score Dyson and Courtney Storey singled home Shipman for the quick lead.
 
TAMUK pushed two across off of Ward in the home half of the second, but that's all the Javelinas would get offensively as the sophomore RHP allowed just a single earned run with eight hits, three of which were in the second, and one walk to two strikeouts in her tenth complete game effort as a Mulerider and second in as many days.
 
A one-out double by Rolle in the fourth would not be wasted as she scored on a two-out single into left field off the bat of Regan Dillon. That would be all the lead Ward would need as she went 1-2-3 in the fourth and fifth, stranded a Javelina in the sixth and worked around runners at the corners in the seventh. However, for good measure, Dyson scored Rolle on a fielder's choice in the sixth for a 4-2 score.
 
Miller again led with three hits, while Dillon, Rolle, King and Storey each produced two with the latter three all notching a double. Rolle scored twice and Dyson walked twice and the latter joined Dillon, Shipman and Storey with an RBI.
 
For the weekend, Miller posted a ridiculous stat line as she recorded 11 hits in 14 at bats for a .786 average. She added six RBI and three runs scored with a triple and a home run. She heads into the second weekend of the season with an OPS of 1.943 and a slugging percentage of 1.143.
 
Four other players are hitting north of .300 with three of those holding averages above .400. Shipman leads with four XBHs (3 2B, 1 HR) and matches Miller in RBI with six. King follows with five and six other Muleriders are responsible for two runs batted in. Seven Muleriders have crossed home at least three times with Rolle's five currently leading the team. Additionally, SAU has drawn 18 walks and was hit by pitch three times to only 11 strikeouts in 144 at bats over the weekend.
 
Southern Arkansas returns to action next weekend, February 10-12, at the Alva Early Memorial Classic in Bentonville, Arkansas. The Muleriders open a five-game weekend slate on Friday with a pair of contests between Pittsburg State (11 A.M.) and Southwest Baptist (1:30 P.M.) both from Memorial Field 1. Facebook Live links will be available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.