EDMOND, Okla. - The 25th team in the history of the Southern Arkansas Softball program saw its season come to an end on Friday evening from inside Gerry Pinkston Stadium in Edmond, Oklahoma. The Muleriders (45-15) entered the day needing one win across two potential games to punch it's ticket to the DII Softball National Championship Tournament, but it was #4 Central Oklahoma (52-7) that emerged victorious winning a back and forth affair 5-4 in game two, before claiming a 5-2 decision in the "if-necessary" to win the Central Region crown.
A 29-minute rain delay popped up around the top of the fourth inning of Friday's first contest with UCO at the plate and once it rolled through the only storm left in the area was that of
Mariah Hamilton who's offensive exploits nearly gave the Muleriders a sweep of the host.
Following a Tatum Long home run that gave UCO an early 1-0 lead in the second, Hamilton took an 0-1 pitch out over the right centerfield wall for a solo shot, her sixth of the season, to knot the game at 1-1 in the home half of the fourth.
Sydney Ward worked 4.0 innings scattering six hits and two runs before giving way to
Baylie Thornhill after the Bronchos used a leadoff single and consecutive HBP to load the bases with no outs in the fifth. Thornhill would limit the damage as she allowed just a single run and stranded the bases loaded with UCO holding a 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth.
With two outs,
Gracie King doubled down the line in right field and
Emily Shipman earned a free pass to set the table for Hamilton, again. The Greenwood, Arkansas native delivered a laser, her seventh roundtripper of the season and second of the day, on a full count pitch that cleared the left field wall in a hurry to send SAU up 4-2 with two innings to play.
UCO responded with two outs in the visiting half of the sixth as a two-RBI single off the bat of Emily Deramus tied the game at 4-4.
The Muleriders had an opportunity to strike back in the sixth as
Alyssa Miller singled on the infield turf to start the frame and
Ariana Rolle followed with a base hit into right center field. A sacrifice bunt from
Regan Dillon pushed runners to second and third, but a fielder's choice erased Miller at the plate and the Muleriders left two more on in the inning.
SAU earned the first two outs of the seventh rather quickly but the Bronchos used back-to-back doubles to plate the go-ahead run, before a 6-4-3 double play diminished the SAU threat in the bottom of the seventh.
With the momentum, UCO jumped out to a 3-0 lead through four innings of game three and responded with two more in the fifth after Dillon belted a solo shot, her ninth of the season, in the top half of the fifth.
Kamryn Moctezuma singled up the middle in the seventh inning to cap a two-out surge that included three hits, but the Muleriders would leave the tying run at the plate.
Ward tossed the first 3.1 innings with
Morgan McAlexander and
Kate Faber combining for the last 2.2 innings.
On the day, Hamilton and Moctezuma each delivered four hits. Dyson and King followed with two each. SAU recorded three home runs and four doubles on the day. Hamilton accounted for four RBI and with Dillon and Moctezuma each recording one.
SAU snapped the Bronchos' 19-game winning streak with its 8-2 victory in Thursday's super regional opener. UCO finished its home slate at 24-3 overall with two of those losses (Feb. 18, May 18) coming at the hands of the Muleriders.
Southern Arkansas' season included its fifth campaign under ninth-year head coach
Jason Anderson with 40-plus wins and its first since 2019. The Muleriders punched their ticket to the NCAA postseason for the seventh-consecutive season and for the eighth time overall. SAU advanced to its third super regional and first since 2018.
The Muleriders saw eight members of the 2023 squad garner all-conference honors, one become an all-region performer and six claim academic honors.
