ALVA, Okla. - #9/6 Southern Arkansas suffered a pair of doubleheader losses, falling by a single run in each contest, to Northwestern Oklahoma in Great American Conference action, but the Muleriders bounced back in the series finale with six runs over the final two innings to win 7-1.
SAU (32-13) lost 5-4 and 4-3 on Friday, before improving its conference record to 23-7; a game ahead of Ouachita in league play with one GAC series to play.
In the win, the Muleriders scored first, like they did in the second game of the series, courtesy of an RBI single by Chris Lyles. Lyles added a sacrifice fly in the eighth which followed an RBI single by Will Richardson and gave the Muleriders a 3-1. The advantage would be added to in a big way as Brett McGee blasted a Grand Slam, his 13th roundtripper of the season, to cushion the lead.
Jack Liddell earned his third win of the season as he tossed four innings in relief of Mikel Howell who threw five innings allowing five hits and just one unearned run with four strikeouts. Liddell scattered three hits and two free passes.
In the opener, the Rangers pushed across three early runs off of SAU ace Jeremy Adorno, who went the distance with a dozen strikeouts, and added a fourth run in the fourth to lead 4-0. SAU cut into the lead in the fifth with an RBI-double by Jackson Duke and a fielding error that chased home Chris Sutton and brought SAU to within two of the host's lead at 4-2.
The Muleriders rallied in the ninth with a solo blast by pinch hitter Conner Allen and a bases loaded hit-by-pitch by Richardson to tie the game at 4-4, but the Rangers used a walk and consecutive singles, all with two outs, to walk off with the win.
In game two, the two sides traded runs every other inning. Brandon Nicoll scored on a wild pitch to put SAU up 1-0 in the first. NWOSU took a 2-1 lead in the second on a two-run single, but Nicoll knotted up the seven-inning affair at 2-2 with a solo homer in the third. The Rangers responded with a solo shot to take a 3-2 lead in the fourth, while a fifth inning RBI-single from Duke tied the game at 3-3. A go-ahead RBI double for NWOSU in the sixth sent the Muleriders to the plate down a run in their final at bat. SAU would strand the tying run at second in the 4-3 loss.
Santos Sosa worked five innings allowing six hits and three runs with six strikeouts. Cy Murphy pitched the sixth, surrendering two hits and a run.
Richardson recorded six hits and two RBI. Nicoll followed with five hits, an RBI and three runs scored as he hit for the weekend cycle. Duke added four hits, two RBI and a run scored. McGee finished the weekend with three hits, four RBI and two runs scored.
The Muleriders head to UT-Tyler for a Tuesday matchup, before welcoming in Arkansas-Monticello on Friday and Saturday for Senior Weekend. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
