MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Senior Isaiah Haynes saved both ends of Southern Arkansas' Sunday doubleheader, junior Brandon Nicoll enjoyed a six-hit day and the Muleriders broke out the brooms to sweep the Great American Conference series with Southeastern Oklahoma State with day two wins of 11-9 and 3-2 from inside Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field.

In Sunday's nine-inning affair, SAU grabbed a first-inning lead on a two-RBI single off the bat of Will Richardson, but the Savage Storm scratched four runs off of SAU starter Mikel Howell in the third to lead by two through three.

The Muleriders used two-out, RBI doubles by Chris Lyles and Mikey McGinnis to tie the game at 4 in the home half of the third, but SE again took the lead in the next half inning to end Howell's day on the hill. Like clockwork, SAU again welcomed action with two away in the home half of the following frame as Carter Claerhout singled to set the table for Nicoll who belted his team-leading third home run of the year to knot the game at 6 through four innings of play.

Nicoll was far from done at the plate as a two-out RBI double in the sixth inning chased home Chris Sutton and answered an RBI single from the Savage Storm's Damon Burroughs in the top half.

Chance Bolter (2H, 1ER, 2K, 2BB) worked two innings in relief of Howell and Hayden Oglesby tossed an inning. Sean Sieve made his second appearance of the season and pitched 1.2 innings and around two hits and two walks to strikeout three en route to the win after Haynes slammed the door shut by fanning the side in the ninth.

Those results were made possible by the Muleriders' effort in once again responding to a profitable half inning by the Savage Storm in the pre-stretch seventh with a four-run frame in the post-stretch seventh.

Down 9-7, Richardson singled, Lyles walked and McGinnis was plunked to load the bases for Shoup who drew a walk for the frame's first tally. In a pinch hit appearance, Josh Phillips was hit by pitch to tie the game at 9-9, before Sutton grounded into a double play to score McGinnis and give the Muleriders a 10-9 advantage. A hot day at the plate warmed up even more for Nicoll who singled back up the middle to push across Shoup for an insurance run albeit one that did not come into play considering the back half efforts of Sieve and Haynes.

In the series finale, junior Tim Ruffino worked around six hits and a single earned run in two innings, junior Austin Adair (W, 1-1) delivered four strong innings in relief allowing just two hits to face two over the minimum with five punchouts. Haynes was again called upon in the seventh and he responded with an inning-opening flyout to left field and back-to-back browsing strikeouts; his 11^th and 12^th strikeouts in five innings of action this season. With his three-save weekend, Haynes becomes just the second Mulerider to reach 20 career saves joining career record holder Justin Thomas (24; 2012-13).

The scoring developed early in the final game of the series as an RBI single from Grant Roosma plated Sutton and a throwing error trying to stop Roosma from stealing second scored Nicoll from third to stake SAU to a 2-0 advantage through one. SE answered with two of their own, but in the bottom half of the second a heads up play by Shoup allowed the Muleriders to grab a lead that, through the efforts of Ruffino, Adair and Haynes, would not be relinquished.

Clay Burrows singled through the right side with Shoup at second and the latter did not let up rounding third catching the Savage Storm cutoff man off guard to give the Muleriders a key run and a 3-2 lead.

Nicoll's monstrous weekend at the plate came with scary numbers as he hit .636 with an OPS of 2.031. He recorded seven hits, which included two doubles and two home runs, scored four times and delivered five RBI. Shoup followed with four RBI and matched Nicoll in doubles. Richardson collected five hits.

Haynes became the first Mulerider to record three-straight saves since 2017 when Mackenzy Larsen worked both ends of a doubleheader against Henderson State prior to closing out the series opener against Harding the following weekend. Haynes is the first Mulerider since Thomas to close out all three games of a series. Thomas shut the door on Southwestern Oklahoma February 15-16, 2013. 

The Muleriders head to Russellville on Tuesday, February 20 for a 3 p.m. first pitch with Arkansas Tech in nonconference action. Live coverage links will be available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.