MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The 19^th ranked Muleriders entered Dawson Field for their midweek conference doubleheader against Natural State rival Arkansas-Monticello (12-15 | 4-7) for a chance to potentially elevate their national and conference stock. Southern Arkansas prevailed in both contests against the Cotton Blossoms without letting UAM see home plate as the Muleriders defeated Arkansas-Monticello by scores of 5-0 and 1-0 (8) to advance to 18-6 overall with a 9-2 record in the Great American Conference.
 
Southern Arkansas is currently holding their position at second in the GAC standings as Oklahoma Baptist sits atop the league with a 10-0 conference record. The Muleriders completely take over the number two spot as Southern Nazarene drops to 7-3 following their road loss to the Bison.
 
The Tuesday doubleheader was majorly highlighted by the pitching by both squads as there was a total of just 15 hits and only five in game two.
 
Game One
SAU W, 5-0
Sydney Ward in game one pitched her seventh complete game (2^nd GAC) and allowed just five hits, zero runs, one walk, and one wild pitch. The senior struck out six batters throughout the 26 she faced.
 
To set the tone for the day, Ward opened game one in circle and saw just a four-pitch first inning with a fly out, ground out, and a line out. For each team the first two innings, three batters came up and three batters went down. The contest did not see a base hit till UAM's Adrianna Erichsen recorded the first with two outs in the top of the third.
 
That seemed to wake the Muleriders' bats up temporarily in a big way as Mackensie Baldwin singled up the middle with just one out which was then followed by a pitch hitting Bella Angelo for two runners to get on base. Kamryn Moctezuma then squared away at the ball for a single to produce the first run of the day by batting in Baldwin. Ariana Rolle preceded to account for own base hit to load the bases. With the bases loaded, Southern Arkansas; most effective dinger producer, Regan Dillon, stepped to the plate in which she added another bomb to her GAC-leading total (8) for a grand slam.
 
The Cotton Blossoms attempted a retaliation in the top of the fourth with a pair of hits, but would come up futile as Ward would leave two runners stranded on base. Then on, the Muleriders were only able to bag one more runner, but would not score any more runs. The Paris, Arkansas native kept the Arkansas-Monticello momentum to a minimum as they were allowed just two more hits, but were once again shutdown by Ward in the top of the seventh to close out game one.
 
Game Two
SAU W, 1-0 (9)
The junior out of Statesboro, Georgia, Brinson Rogers, pitched her third complete game of the year, and monumental fashion. Rogers faced 26 batters and of those 26, 17 went back to the dugout having been struck out by the junior. Rogers' 17 strikeouts are the most by a Mulerider arm since 2004 when Krystal Poulin struck out 17 in wins over Emporia State and West Alabama. The Peach State native recorded a perfect game up till the top of the seventh when she walked UAM batter Jadyn Hart. The junior still possessed a no hitter through seven, but was surrendered her first and only hit in extras by Cotton Blossom Kennedy Cox.
 
The outing was kept quiet by superior arms from both sides of the field as Rogers pitched a stellar game, but Arkansas-Monticello's Mallory Pitre did not allow the Muleriders to score up till the very end off a Rolle walk-off base hit to bat in Brooklynn Reed for the game-winning run. Pitre had herself a career-level night as she allowed only four hits, one run (earned), two walks, a wild pitch, and a hit by pitch. The Blossom tied Rogers' previous and Ward's current season highs for strikeouts as Pitre cut down 13 Mulerider batters of the 29 total she faced.
 
On Deck
Southern Arkansas now looks to keep their winning ways rolling as they hit the road for their second conference road trip for the GAC series against the Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm on Friday (Mar. 15) and Saturday (Mar. 16). For more on upcoming events, check out www.MuleriderAthletics.com