EDMOND, Okla. - Making their third Central Super Regional appearance in program history and first since 2018, (RV) Southern Arkansas, the region's sixth seed, moved one game closer to capturing the Central Region crown and a berth in the NCAA DII Softball National Championship on Thursday night in Edmond. The Muleriders exploded in the second inning recording eight hits and plating seven runs, six with five two-out hits, on its way to a statement win over #4 Central Oklahoma in game one from Gerry Pinkston Stadium. SAU and UCO are set for game two on Friday with a first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. An "if-necessary" game will begin 30 minutes after game two. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
The Muleriders (44-14) snapped the Bronchos' (50-7) 19-game winning streak by holding the host to just three hits and two runs; all of which came off of SAU starter
Sydney Ward in the first inning.
Ward (24-6) did not allow a hit in her next four innings of work and tossed around six free passes including one to load the bases immediately after UCO pushed across its two first-inning runs. The right hander then needed just four pitches with the bags full to escape the threat. Ward produced 1-2-3 frames in the second and fourth and pitched around a pair of two-out walks in the fifth to keep the Bronchos scoreless over the game's final six innings.
Baylie Thornhill faced just one over the minimum in the final two innings to close the door on UCO. Ward and Thornhill combined to strand eight UCO runners.
After a five-pitch effort offensively in the top of the first inning, Southern Arkansas recorded three-consecutive one-out singles in the top of the second as
Emily Shipman,
Mariah Hamilton and
Courtney Storey all reached with base knocks as the latter score the former on contact for SAU's first run. With two outs, infield singles from the bats of
Ariana Rolle and
Regan Dillon kept the inning alive as Dillon's RBI knotted the game at 2-2.
The Muleriders were just getting started as
Jaxynn Dyson followed with a two-run single into right center field to plate Storey and Rolle, before a double by Kamrin Moctezuma, SAU's only extra base hit in the win, chased home Dillon for a 5-2 Mulerider lead.
The final tallies in the profitable second came courtesy of
Gracie King who singled into center field to score Dyson, while a fielding error on the contact allowed Moctezuma to take an extra bag for the seventh run of the inning. All of that damage came against UCO starter Terin Ritz who entered at 24-1 overall.
No insurance runs would be needed, but that didn't stop Storey from singling on a full-count pitch in the fifth to right centerfield to push across King for an 8-2 advantage.
Moctezuma, Hamilton and Storey each collected two hits. Five other Muleriders reached via base hit. Storey and Dyson both recorded two RBI. Eight different Muleriders scored a run.
