SPRINGDALE, Ark. - Southern Arkansas was dealt a handful of early blows, three of which were in the form of solo home runs, from Oklahoma Baptist through the first three innings of Saturday's Great American Conference Championship from Arvest Ballpark. However, none of them sent the Muleriders to the mat. SAU, the defending GAC Tournament Champs, rallied from an early 4-0 deficit to tie the title game and then plated two runs in the bottom of the ninth to win the program's seventh GAC Tournament title with a 7-6 victory over the Bison.
Trailing 6-5 entering the final half inning of play, Southern Arkansas sent the top of its order to the plate and what resulted was just the second walk-off win in GAC Tournament Championship history and the second by the Muleriders.
All-GAC first team selection Riley Orr fouled off the first five pitches he saw from Oklahoma Baptist reliever Jordan Brewer and on the sixth one he jump started the inning with a single into right field. Orr moved to second on a balk and scored moments later as tournament MVP Brett McGee, who belted a solo home run into the Don Tyson Parkway to cut the deficit to a run at 6-5 in the post-stretch seventh, singled into left field on a full-count pitch to plate Orr and knot the title game at 6-all.
The third and final hit of the two-run inning came from All-GAC first team selection Brandon Nicoll who singled on a 2-0 pitch to push McGee to second and both would advance a bag on a passed ball. A walk of Conner Allen loaded the bags and after fouling off a 3-1 pitch, Chris Lyles eyed the sixth pitch of his at bat high and out of the zone for a walk-off free pass and an ensuing chase down celebration in shallow right field.
McGee led with three hits in the championship game and accounted for three of the team's five RBI with two runs scored. Orr collected two hits as the top two hitters in the order supplied half of SAU's ten base knocks and scored four of the team's seven runs.
Nicoll and Allen each recorded a hit with Allen walking twice. Both players joined McGee on the all-tournament team as did games one and two starters Jeremy Adorno and Mikel Howell.
Certainly not lost in the win is the effort by Mulerider arms that did its part to hold down the potent Bison offense. Wyatt Marr worked through two frames as the Bison utilized the longball against the starter to grab an early advantage. Chance Bolter held the fort down for 5.2 innings scattering five hits with his lone blemish coming on a two-run shot by Jayden Shafer in the seventh that put OBU back out front at 6-4. Jake Uber tossed the final 2.1 innings to earn his third win of the season as he allowed just one hit while facing two over the minimum.
Home runs by Dan Pruitt and Alex Schroeder in the first inning and a homer from Troy Shields in the second preceded a sac fly by Schroeder in the third inning as the Bison built a 4-0 lead through three.
The third and fourth innings belonged to the Muleriders. McGee singled into center field on a full-count offering to score Jackson Duke who walked to leadoff the third. A throwing error at third base allowed Nicoll to reach and it scored Orr who had reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the frame as SAU cut its deficit in half.
A sac fly from the bat of Chris Garcia pushed across Lyles who started the fourth with a single. Another Bison throwing error allowed Orr to reach base two batters later and it plated Will Richardson, who drew a four-pitch walk as the second batter of the inning, to tie the game at 4-4.
The win pushes Southern Arkansas' overall record to 39-16 and leaves the Muleriders unbeaten all-time in GAC Tournament Championship games. It ensures that the Muleriders will make a 15th NCAA postseason appearance and the third-straight under seventh-year head coach Justin Pettigrew.
Southern Arkansas will learn of its NCAA postseason fate on Sunday, May 14 on NCAA.com Fans can watch the selection show in its entirety beginning at 10 p.m. here: https://www.ncaa.com/live-updates/baseball/d2/live-updates-2023-dii-baseball-championship.
