MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The #4 Mulerider Baseball squad (12-5, 7-2 GAC) split the Sunday double header with the Harding Bisons (13-6, 4-5 GAC) in Magnolia to snag the series win. Southern Arkansas won the first two games of the weekend series 6-4, 15-5 (8), but the Bison were victorious in game three, winning 7-3. Southern Arkansas will continue their season in Monticello for a non-conference midweek matchup against the UAM Bollweevils on Tuesday, March 7. Live coverage links will be available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
Brett McGee, Brandon Nicoll, Chris Lyles and Will Richardson recorded hits in both Sunday games while Richardson recorded an RBI in each. Conner Allen stole a base in both games to record five on the season alongside teammates Chris Lyles and Riley Orr.
Game One
Southern Arkansas Notes
*McGee, Allen and Orr all had three RBI performances in the first game at Goodheart field on Sunday afternoon. McGee went 1-3 with a bases-clearing double that gained SAU a 10-run advantage to run rule the Bisons in eight innings. Allen went 3-3 with a walk and three runs. The senior saw his third three-hit game and fourth multi-hit effort of the season. Orr recorded one hit to contribute to his team-leading .378 batting average and recorded the team's first sacrifice bunt of the season after leading the Muleriders' SAC bunt efforts the last three seasons (6 ('22), 5 ('21), 3 ('20)).
*The team combined for a .394 batting average (13-33) to record a +.350 average for their fifth game this season.
*Mikel Howell earned his fourth win in his 6.o inning effort on Sunday. The junior transfer allowed a season-high five runs on nine hits. He walked just one batter to combine for six on the season, a figure that leads the three Mulerider starters. Howell has had three outings (3-0) where he allowed two or fewer hits and no more than one run. His other two outings (1-1) each featured nine hits and saw more than two runs.
*Hayden Hable tossed 2.0 scoreless innings in relief of Howell. The sophomore faced 11 batters, allowed three hits, walked one and struck out four. In his four-relief outings, Hable has not allowed a single earned run and has gone longer than 1.0 inning in three appearances.
*Sutton singled in his first at bat to represent his fifth straight game where he reached base safely as SAU's leadoff batter. McGee drew a walk and Brandon Nicoll was hit by a pitch to load the bases early for the Muleriders. Two SAU batters recorded back-to-back strikeouts to force the team to rally with two outs, something the Muleriders know how to do very well. Allen drew a walk to score Sutton before the three base runners advanced on a pass ball, scoring McGee. Mikey McGinnis drew SAU's third walk of the inning to load the bases once again. Richardson singled up the middle to score Allen and Nicoll and wrap up the four-run Mulerider inning.
*SAU snagged their fifth run of the day when McGinnis singled up the middle to score Lyles who had started the third inning off with a single before advancing to second on a fielding error by the Harding third baseman.
*Lyles knocked his second triple of the season to bring home SAU's sixth run of the game and first of the fourth inning. Allen followed with a bunt to third base that scored Lyles. McGinnis drew his second walk of the day to advance Allen into scoring position. Richardson loaded the SAU bases with a single to the shortstop and an Orr single brought home McGinnis and Allen to snag the final two runs of the Muleriders' four-run inning.
*Lyles drew a walk to start the sixth inning followed by Allen who reached after being hit by a pitch. McGinnis singled through the left side to score Lyles and advance Allen into scoring position and Richardson reached on a fielder's choice that placed runners at the corner, allowing Allen to score on Orr's fielder's choice.
*McGee led the seventh inning off by getting hit by a pitch. Lyles drew a walk to advance McGee to second, setting him up to score on an Allen single to center field.
*The Muleriders completed their run-rule in the bottom of the seventh where they snagged their final three runs off a McGee double to right.
Harding Notes
*Four Bison pitchers combined for the 7.1 inning effort from the Searcy team. Starting pitcher Davis Welch was dealt his first loss of the season following his 3.2 inning effort where he allowed seven runs on seven hits. The junior saw his shortest outing of the season and let up the most runs of his five starts. Every Harding pitcher sacrificed a run and walked a batter. HU tossed 0.2 innings less than SAU, but faced eight more batters.
*Cody Smith and Sebastian Martinez both recorded three hits in the game with two of each going for two bags while Seth Johnson notched two base knocks himself. Four additional Bison saw hits to leave just two of their staring nine hitless.
*Harding got on the board in the fifth inning where they saw three runs on four hits that included two doubles.
*The Bison responded to SAU's two-run sixth inning effort with two runs of their own in the seventh. Harding began the inning with back-to-back hits that included a double that allowed both base runners to move into scoring position. A Bison drew a walk to load the bases for a two-run double to left field.
Game Two
Southern Arkansas Notes
*McGee drew his fifteenth and sixteenth walks of the season to lead the Mulerider team after recording a 2022 season where he drew a team-leading 61 walks. McGee was additionally one of four to record a hit in the matchup to extend his hitting streak to 14 games. The senior has snagged a hit in all but two of their 17 games played to post the Muleriders' second-best batting average (.346, 18-52).
*SAU turned to the help of three arms in game two on Sunday night. Wyatt Marr began pitching efforts for the Muleriders where he tossed 5.0 innings, allowing allowed three runs on just three hits while striking out three. Isiah Haynes and Jack Liddell followed with 1.0 inning each with both giving up two runs and striking out one. Haynes was tabbed with the loss, his first of the season.
*SAU combated the two Harding runs in the top of the second with a single run of their own in the bottom of the inning. Allen was hit by a pitch before he advanced himself into scoring position with his fifth stolen base of the year. Richardson singled through the left side to bring Allen home.
*The Muleriders grabbed a one-run lead in the bottom of the fifth when Nicoll hit his second home run of the year, this time a two-run bomb to score McGee.
Harding Notes
*Starting pitcher Will Roguske allowed three runs on three hits in his 4.1 inning outing. Andrew Bradshaw took over responsibilities on the mound where he tossed 2.2 scoreless innings earn his third win of the season.
*Logan Lacey led Bison batting efforts with three RBI on three hits. Collin Helms recorded two hits himself and five additional athletes accounted for the rest of the team's 10 hits.
*Harding got on the board first for the only time through the three-game series. The first two batters of the second inning recorded hits to find themselves at the corners. Two consecutive sacrifice plays scored both Bison base runners.
*The Bison didn't let the Mulerider lead stand for long as they grabbed three runs in the sixth. Their first batter drew a walk and the next three followed with hits including a one-RBI single and a two-RBI double.
*HU scored their final two runs in the seventh when three consecutive singles brought home one run and a fourth single later in the inning earned them their final run of the contest.
