BENTONVILLE, Ark. - For the second-straight year, (RV) Southern Arkansas Softball made a run at the Great American Conference Tournament title. The Muleriders edged #16 Harding, the tournament's No. 2 seed, 2-1 in Saturday's semifinal matchup, but fell 3-2 to (4) Southeastern Oklahoma State in Saturday night's title game. The loss snapped a 14-game winning streak for the Muleriders. SAU awaits an at-large selection into the NCAA postseason tournament.

In Saturday's opener, the Muleriders and Lady Bisons battled for the fourth time this spring and it was Southern Arkansas that ended up on top after being swept by Harding in the regular season. Sydney Ward and Baylie Thornhill combined to five-hit the nation's No. 16 ranked team with Thornhill working the final three innings to pick up her 15th win of the season.

Harding's Lily Tansky held the Muleriders to just five hits, but one of those put Southern Arkansas on the board first as an RBI single off the bat of Alyssa Miller scored Mariah Hamilton in the top half of the third inning.

Harding struck with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game at a run apiece. The Muleriders answered quickly as Regan Dillon flew out to left field to chase home Ariana Rolle and give SAU a 2-1 lead.

Thornhill induced two line outs, worked around a one-out single and saw her middle infielders take the easy route on 4-6 to end the Harding sixth. In the seventh, Thornhill struck out the leadoff batter and with two outs and runners at the corners, her middle infielders in Jaxynn Dyson and Kamryn Moctezuma made the 6-4 putout at second to send SAU to the title game.

Meeting for the fourth time in a week, Southeastern Oklahoma wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard. A solo homer from Marilyn Alvarado in the first and an RBI single off the bat of Kady Fryrear in the third pushed the Savage Storm out front 2-0 through three. SAU responded in a big way in the home half of the fourth as Moctezuma homered with one on to even the championship game at 2-2.

Nearly half of Southeastern Oklahoma's nine hits occurred in the visiting half of the sixth as a four-hit inning led to the go-ahead run crossing on an RBI double from Bailey Beard. The Muleriders would put runners at first and second with just one out in the bottom of the seventh, but would be unable to push either across.

Thornhill worked the first 2.2 and was relieved by Morgan McAlexander who tossed 2.2 with three strikeouts and a run allowed. Maci McJunkins held off the Savage Storm late allowing just two hits in 1.2 innings of work.

Miller and Hamilton each recorded three hits on the day with both accounting for two in the championship game.

Hamilton, Dillon and Moctezuma were named to the GAC All-Tournament team. Dillon hit .500 over three games with four hits including a home run in the opener vs. UAM. She delivered two RBI and two runs scored. Hamilton collected four hits, including a homer in the first game of the tournament. She added one RBI and scored twice. Moctezuma recorded two hits, scored twice and led SAU with three RBI, including the two-run blast to tie the title game in the fourth.