MAGNOLIA, Ark. - It was a tale of two contests for #8 Southern Arkansas in Monday afternoon's Great American Conference doubleheader with Southern Nazarene. The Muleriders struck for a dozen runs in game two which ended via run rule, but the Crimson Storm salvaged the series by outlasting SAU 2-1 in 11 innings from inside Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field.
SAU combined for 21 hits and 13 runs with 15 of the base knocks and 12 of the runs coming in the day's first seven innings as the Muleriders used a 12-1 win in seven to earn its 12th league win of the season. Six of the 15 hits went for extra bases.
Tim Ruffino picked up his fourth win of the season behind an efficient outing that saw him toss around three hits and a walk to fan five over six innings of scoreless work. Ruffino went six-plus innings and struck out no fewer than five batters each for the third time this season.
Ruffino tossed quick frames to open and close his start and worked around a SNU runner at third base in both the third and fourth innings facing just six over the minimum in his eighth start of the campaign.
In Monday's opener, SAU struck early with five runs in the first inning highlighted by run-scoring base knocks from Brandon Nicoll, Will Richardson and Carter Claerhout. Chris Lyles doubled in a run and Shoup plated Nicoll with an infield single in the second as the lead grew to 7-0 through two.
Single runs crossed in the third, fourth and fifth innings with the run production bookend by Grant Roosma who singled in Mikey McGinnis in the third and then sandwiched a Claerhout RBI hit in the fourth with a solo homer down the right field line in the fifth for his third home run of the weekend.
Tyler Abrego tripled on the first pitch he saw in a pinch-hit opportunity in the sixth and Josh Phillips plated the former with a sacrifice fly in the same frame for SAU's final run of the game.
Jackson Regan made his Mulerider debut in relief of Ruffino pitching around two hits and an unearned run to retire the Crimson Storm with two fly outs and a ground out.
In the series finale, SNU answered the game's lone run with a single tally off of Isaiah Haynes in the top of the seventh and then produced the go-ahead run off of Hayden Oglesby in the 11th. Mikel Howell pitched around four hits and a walk in six innings of a no decision. He punched out ten. Haynes pitched 2.2 innings and Oglesby worked the final 2.1 innings.
Southern Arkansas' lone run came in impressive fashion. The run-scoring fourth started with Lyles beating a bunted baseball down the first base line for an infield hit. He swiped second with two away and in Jaden Woolbright's at bat, Lyles advanced to third on a ball played in the six hole and never let up as he scored a moment after Woolbright beat the throw at first.
The Muleriders head to Arkadelphia for a midweek tilt with Henderson State on Tuesday, March 19. SAU travels to Shawnee to resume GAC play this weekend at Oklahoma Baptist. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
