Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 EDMOND, Okla. – Following the cancelled day two of the Raising Cane's Softball Festival, in which the 23^rd ranked Muleriders were set to play Nebraska-Kearney and Central Missouri, Southern Arkansas ended day three of the event with a split record as they overcame the No. 8 Rogers State Hillcats in extra innings and fell to the No. 11 Central Oklahoma Bronchos by way of run-rule.
The Muleriders have now earned a record of 9-4 due to the happenings of their pre-conference schedule and are set for Great American Conference play for the upcoming weekend against East Central at the Margaret Downing Softball Complex.
 
Vs. No. 8 Rogers State
Southern Arkansas against the Hillcats recorded ten hits with five total RBI and just four batters struck out.

Regan Dillon and Haley Nillen accounted for the Muleriders first couple of runs as they were each responsible for a sole homerun as Dillon launched her dinger in the top of the first and Nillen knocked her bomb out in the top of the fourth.

Sydney Ward pitched for 5 innings, in which she allowed the Hillcats' three runs and six hits, but also held Rogers State to a single run for the majority of her time in the circle. Ward finished her day with one strikeout, one hit-by-pitch, a pair of walks, three fly outs, and 11 ground outs against 24 total batters.

Relieving Ward of her duties for the contest was Brinson Rogers as she came in and faced two batters in which she struck one out and surrendered a hit to another.

Corie Byrd then came in for Rogers and played her part in holding the Hillcats to their three runs while also earning her second win of the season.

Dillon's first inning homerun was followed up in the bottom of the second by a double going down the left field line for Rogers State to get on the board with an RBI coming in from third.

SAU in the top of fourth returned the favor in the top of the fourth as Nillen accounted for her second homerun in 2024 to move the Muleriders ahead 2-1.

Each squad's scoring efforts were silenced going into the bottom of the sixth until RSU's Lyon recorded a lead-off homerun past left center field to tie the ballgame at 2-2. With one out and a runner on second, Rogers State's Morales singled to left field and batted in another runner to score for the Hillcats to obtain the lead at 3-2.

Southern Arkansas now looked to survive in the top of the seventh as they were down for the first time in the contest. To warm the bats, Cassidy Lear singled to right center field which was then followed by Jenna Huey reaching first on a fielder's choice and Lear being thrown out at second. After Ava Dunn checked in to pinch run for Huey, Bella Angelo recorded a single up the middle to advance Dunn to second and herself to first. Dillon then stepped to the plate with a runner (Dunn) in scoring position. The sophomore single to center field where she batted in Dunn for the Muleriders to tie the bout and have a chance for extras. With bases loaded and two outs, Nillen fought to a 2-2 count but was struck out to end the top half of the seventh.

Byrd allowed zero damage in the bottom half of the inning as she recorded a pair of ground outs and a line out to the short stop.

Morgan McAlexander checked in to pinch run for Nillen at second and then saw Kamryn Moctezuma advance the runner to third on a ground out to then be followed by a King fly out to right field that pushed the senior home. With the score now at 4-3, SAU needed some insurance runs and found one from Huey doubling into right center and scoring Lear after she singled to second base. Angelo flew out to right field to end Southern Arkansas half and put all the pressure on the top-ten Hillcats.

In the final half of play, Byrd came back out and saw three batters come up and three batters go down as team 26 earned its second extra innings win in just three days by a final of 5-3.
 
Vs. No. 11 Central Oklahoma
Southern Arkansas, following just beating No. 8 Rogers State, faced the 11^th ranked Bronchos on their home turf for the first time since the 2023 Super Central Regional Championship last spring. Central Oklahoma was able to keep the Muleriders' bats quiet for the vast majority of the competition and the Bronchos bats were anything but quiet as UCO tacked on three homeruns in which two went for 2+ runs. Southern Arkansas pitched four arms against the defending Super Central Regional champs and fell to the 11^th ranked Bronchos 10-2 in five innings.
 
ON DECK
Team 26 is scheduled for their first conference series this coming weekend against East Central with a single game on Friday at 4:00 p.m. and a doubleheader on Saturday starting at noon. For any updates on scheduling, check out www.MuleriderAthletics.com