JOPLIN, Mo. - It didn't quite go the way of the Muleriders on Thursday afternoon in Joplin. (3) Southern Arkansas trailed 5-1 through five innings of play in its NCAA Central Region opener against (6) Minnesota State and a three-run sixth inning that put ninth-year head coach Justin Pettigrew's club in striking distance would be erased as the Mavericks plated three ninth-inning runs en route to an 8-4 victory from Warren Turner Field. With its season on the line, SAU will match up against (7) Arkansas Tech for the fifth time this season at 2 p.m. on Friday, while MSMU meets (2) Missouri Southern at 6 p.m. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.

The Muleriders (39-17) tossed the ball to their ace Jeremy Adorno who grinded through 8.1 innings. The all-region first teamer fell behind in the early going, surrendering four walks and three hit-by-pitch through the second, third and fourth innings combined. He allowed just three hits during that span with the first of the trio coming in the second and with two runners on in a potential infield fly situation that the umpiring crew elected not to call which loaded the bases with no outs. 

Southern Arkansas used an RBI double off the bat of Riley Orr in the second inning to answer a two-run second inning by Minnesota State. The Mavericks pushed across its first two runs of the game in a frame that included just one hit, but two walks and a hit-by-pitch. In the third inning, the Mavericks needed just one hit in the frame to plate two runs as MSMU saw its first two batters hit-by-pitch to set the table for the productive inning.

Adorno would find a groove in the sixth working around a leadoff single to use a 4-6-3 double play, the third double play turned by SAU in the game, to end the frame. In the seventh, a double steal attempt by the Mavericks with runners at the corners was abruptly ended as Brett McGee jumped in an effort to catch the throw back to the plate after an attempted steal of second forced a throw down and the senior snagged the ball and tagged the runner out through his legs on his way back down to the turf to hold the deficit at 5-4.

The Maverick lead stood at just a single run entering the post-stretch seventh inning courtesy of an eventful sixth inning by the Muleriders. Consecutive singles from Brandon Nicoll and Conner Allen jump started the frame, Chris Lyles singled to left field to plate Nicoll and with one out a single through the left side by Jackson Duke scored Allen. Lyles would score on a wild pitch to pull SAU to within a run of the lead, but the Muleriders stranded runners at second and third to end the inning.

SAU left a pair of runners on base in the first, second, sixth and seventh frames. The Muleriders were retired in order in the eighth and ninth innings.

Minnesota State added some cushion to its advantage in the ninth with three runs on two hits as the Muleriders turned to both Chance Bolter and Jake Uber to record the final two outs.

Nicoll recorded a three-hit day and Allen followed with a pair.

Friday's meeting will be the 11th between Southern Arkansas and Arkansas Tech since the start of the 2022 season. SAU swept the league series in Russellville in early April, while Tech won the midweek matchup in Magnolia in late February. The squads square off in the NCAA postseason for the first time since a 5-0 Tech elimination win in the 2014 Central Region Tournament in Russellville.