JOPLIN, Mo. - Yogi said it best. "Deja vu. All over again." Southern Arkansas tossed the ball to sophomore right hander Sydney Ward and for the second time in three days, the Arkansan twirled a masterful effort in the circle limiting defending national champion (3)/#14 Rogers State to seven hits and a single run as the Muleriders dispatched the Hillcats 3-1 on Championship Saturday to advance to next week's Central Super Regional.
The win sends the Muleriders (44-13) to a Super Regional for the third time in program history and for the first time since 2018. Southern Arkansas, receiving votes in the NFCA DII Top 25 Coaches Poll and the region's No. 6 seed, travels to Edmond, Oklahoma to face Central Oklahoma, the region's top-seeded team and NFCA No. 4, in a best-of-3 series beginning Thursday, May 18 with the Central Region title and a berth to the DII World Series on the line.
Ward (23-6) struck out nine batters to run her Central Region 2 K count to 22 and her season total to 167. Ward stranded Hillcats in six of the seven innings as she worked a perfect fourth and on only one occasion did she allow two base runners on at the same time which was promptly erased with an inning-ending double play in the sixth.
Speaking of deja vu. Regan Dillon in the clutch. As she has proven to do all postseason, Dillon delivered in the biggest of moments as she placed a 2-1 pitch from Rogers State starter Jade Sanders into right center field for a two-run double with two outs in the top of the second inning to open scoring on Saturday.
The run-scoring two-bagger plated Courtney Storey and Alyssa Miller after Storey walked and Miller reached via fielder's choice.
With Ward's effort in the circle, Dillon's hit would be more than enough, but SAU added an insurance run in the following inning as Miller drew a two-out walk with the bases loaded to push SAU out front 3-0.
The Hillcats found the scoreboard in the fifth as a leadoff single from the bat of Chelsea Spain would see her score on a base hit by Lana Gass. RSU would put a base runner on with one out in the seventh, but Ward used a fly out and a check swing strike out to finish off the Hillcats.
Dillon and Mariah Hamilton each delivered two-hit days with Storey, Miller and Kamryn Moctezuma each recording a hit and scoring a run.
Start time of Thursday's Super Regional opener is set for 6 pm with game two scheduled for 2 pm on Friday with an "if-necessary" contest to follow. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
