MAGNOLIA, Ark. - Sophomore Jackson Duke belted a pair of home runs in delivering five RBI, sophomore Chris Garcia blasted a go-ahead three-run shot in the sixth and ten Southern Arkansas arms combined to retire 27 Mississippi College batters in a 12-9 win over the Choctaws on Tuesday afternoon from inside Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field.
Southern Arkansas (31-11) struck first and answered an opening inning tally from MC by plating six runs in its first trip to the plate. Junior Will Richardson singled up the middle for the Muleriders' first two runs and with the bases loaded, Duke hammered a Grand Slam as SAU led 6-1 through one.
Richardson pushed across the third of a four-RBI afternoon with a groundout in the fourth inning, but the Choctaws responded with a profitable fifth. Trailing 7-1, Mississippi College chased home eight runs on five hits, two walks and two hit-by-pitch to grab a 9-7 lead which would stand until the bottom of the sixth.
Walks to senior Brett McGee and sophomore Brandon Nicoll and a hit-by-pitch to redshirt freshman Zach Rennard loaded the bases before the first out was recorded by the Choctaws in the home half of the SAU's sixth trip to the plate. With one out, Richardson flew out to plate McGee and bring SAU to within a run of the lead at 9-8 and then Garcia struck with his first homer of the season; a three-run shot out to left field that gave the Muleriders a lead they would not surrender at 11-9. Duke lifted a solo shot out to left field for back-to-back jacks and an insurance run heading into the final three frames.
Sophomore Micah Burke earned his second win of the season after an efficient 2.2 innings of work where he struck out two, while allowing no hits to seven batters faced. Jack Liddell followed Burke by fanning the side in the eighth and Isaiah Haynes shut the door in the ninth for his 11th save of the season. Cy Murphy opened the game in his debut as a Mulerider and limited MC's early damage.
Nicoll was the lone Mulerider to record a hit and not register an RBI as Duke, Richardson and Garcia combined to go 5-for-13 with a dozen RBI and four runs scored. The Muleriders took advantage of eight walks and three hit-by-pitch in the game.
Southern Arkansas prepares for its longest and final weekend road trip of the regular season as Northwestern Oklahoma awaits the Muleriders on Friday and Saturday in Alva. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com