ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - #24 Southern Arkansas snapped a four-game losing streak in emphatic fashion and added a second victory on Good Friday as the Muleriders combined for 31 hits to win twice over Ouachita in a battle of Great American Conference leaders from Rab Rodgers Field. Junior Jeremy Adorno broke the career strikeout record in the series opener and Jaden Woolbright exited the yard with a three-run blast in game two to give the visitors the lead in the fifth as the Muleriders put together a complete effort over 16 innings of action to improve to 21-11 and 14-6 in league play.
 
Adorno fanned six batters in game one with the fifth, a punchout of G. Allen for out two in the eighth, tying former All-American Hayden Simpson's career K mark of 323 and his sixth, a browsing strikeout of Wesley Scott for the final out in the eighth, to move atop the career strikeout list with 324 and counting. He finished the outing by allowing just three hits and two walks over eight strong frames as he faced just six over the minimum in a near-complete game effort to earn his fourth win of the season.
 
Middle inning run production, nearly half of which crossed with two outs, was the recipe for Southern Arkansas in the series opener.
 
Scoring opened in the third as Carter Claerhout doubled down the right field line to chase home Will Richardson and move Woolbright to third. With two outs, Clay Burrows singled back up the middle scoring both Woolbright and Claerhout and grabbing the momentum for the Muleriders.
 
SAU added a single run with two outs in the fifth inning as Trace Shoup laced the first pitch he saw down the left field line to cross Brandon Nicoll. The next trip to the plate saw Mikey McGinnis crank a two-run homer with Claerhout on in the sixth to push SAU up 6-0. Ouachita responded with its first run of the game in the home half of the sixth, but Claerhout singled in the pre-stretch seventh to plate two more runs and Burrows singled again scoring Shoup in the ninth for SAU's final run.
 
The Muleriders banged out 18 hits, four of which went for extra bases, and removed Ouachita ace Cooper Timmons after six innings. Claerhout enjoyed a 4-for-5 effort with three RBI and two runs scored. Chris Lyles picked up three hits and five other Muleriders recorded two including Burrows who matched Claerhout in RBI. SAU's 18 hits were one less than what the offense combined for over its previous four-game losing streak. Micah Burke worked the final frame in relief of Adorno facing six batters with a strikeout.
 
In game two, a throwing error following a single off the bat of Brandon Nicoll led to the game's first run as Grant Roosma crossed in the top of the first. Burrows squeezed in a run on a sacrifice bunt in the second, but the Tigers' Cade Burris tied the game in the home half with a two-run home run. Nicoll answered in the ensuing half inning with his tenth dinger of the season to push the Muleriders back out front at 3-2.
 
An RBI single by OUA's Allen in the third and a sacrifice line out from Scott gave the Tigers a 4-3 lead after three innings of play. It wasn't until the fifth that SAU took its final lead as Woolbright's fifth homer of the campaign plated Nicoll and Richardson and backed the start of Mikel Howell who tossed 5.2 innings allowing four hits, two walks and four runs with three strikeouts to earn win five. Sean Sieve worked the final 1.1 innings facing the minimum to pick up his first save of the season.
 
Nicoll recorded three hits in the second game and four other Muleriders delivered two.
 
The squads close out the series on Saturday at noon. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.