MAGNOLIA, Ark. – #7/9 Southern Arkansas answered a two-run top of the first inning from visiting Ouachita on Tuesday evening inside Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field with a three-run home half, but the Tigers added single runs in the second, third, fourth and sixth innings before engineering a five-run seventh en route to defeating the Muleriders 13-6 in non-conference play. Ouachita recorded 16 hits with five leaving the yard, while just two of SAU's eight knocks went for extra bases. The loss moves SAU to 16-6 overall with the Tigers improving to 11-10.
Will Richardson exited the yard with one out in the bottom of the first with a ball that landed on the Wilkins Stadium concession stand. Richardson's sixth home run of the season gave the Muleriders an early 3-2 advantage. Solo home runs from the Tigers in the second, fourth and sixth innings highlighted the visitor's grabbing a 6-4 lead after six. A four-hit seventh by Ouachita, coupled with a SAU error, led to five runs with four plated with two outs in the frame and along with single runs in the eighth and ninth innings proved to be much needed insurance runs as the Muleriders recorded five ninth-inning hits plating two runs before leaving the bases loaded.
Nate June started for SAU working three innings and scattering five hits with four runs allowed.
Chance Bolter worked the next 1.2 innings and the Muleriders used
Hayden Hable,
Jake Uber,
Sean Sieve and
Jaden Woolbright in the contest.
Richardson and
Brandon Nicoll combined for half of SAU's eight hits as both players recorded their tenth multi-hit games. Richardson delivered four RBI to mark the third game this season with four or more runs batted in in a game.
Trace Shoup singled in the ninth to run his reached base safely streak to 16 games.
Chris Lyles and Nicoll scored twice.
Southern Arkansas remains home for a three-game Great American Conference series this weekend against Southern Nazarene. The two teams are scheduled to play Friday and Saturday, but pending weather will meet at some point during the weekend weather pending. Live coverage links for those contests, whenever they are contested, are available at
www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
