ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - The 22nd ranked Muleriders sought a bounce back weekend after having lost their series against the Harding Lady Bisons last weekend. Southern Arkansas did just that as they claimed a couple of victories on the road against in-state foe Henderson State with the Muleriders winning both games one and two of the series on a doubleheader Saturday. 

SAU entered Clark County at 13-6 and a 4-2 Great American Conference record. The group has now improved to 15-6 and a 6-2 record in the conference as they claimed their second series victory of 2024. 

The Muleriders were complemented by a pair of complete games from senior Sydney Ward (7-2) and junior Brinson Rogers (5-4). Ward pitched game one playing all eight innings and finished with seven strikeouts, two walks, two earned runs, and eight hits. The Paris, Arkansas native faced 34 batters in the matter. Rogers started and finished game two as she pitched for seven innings and struck out nine batters while allowing just five hits, one earned run via home run, and zero walks. The Statesboro, Georgia native faced 26 batters in her outing. 

Southern Arkansas' batting in game one sought a spark throughout the majority of the contest until Jenna Huey ended the silence with a two-run bomb in the top of the eighth with two outs. The home run resulted in Huey's second and third runs batted in as she accounted for her first in the top of the second through a double to score Gracie King for the first run of the afternoon. 

Game two was highlighted by Kamryn Moctezuma's batting effort as she recorded a game lead-off home run to sway momentum in SAU's direction early. The dinger was Moctezuma's sole hit of the outing, but not her sole run as she reached first base on an error by the Reddies. The senior then made it home after two more errors made by the Henderson State defense. 
 

Game One

Final: SAU 4 - 2 HSU (8)

The Henderson State pitching staff fared quite well against the Muleriders' star-studded lineup as Reddie pitcher Meagan Allen completed all eight innings for HSU allowing just six hits with two walks. Allen surrendered four earned runs to Southern Arkansas including Huey's game-clinching two-run dinger in the top of the eighth. 

The Muleriders led for 3.5 innings until the Reddies tied the contest at one with a single batting in a runner in the bottom of the fifth. Regan Dillon retaliated against the opposition's effort as she singled up the middle to bat in Ariana Rolle and reclaim the lead in the top of the sixth. Henderson State then scored once more in the bottom of the sixth with another single to tie the game again. Neither squad was able to answer in the seventh, but with two outs in the top of the eighth, Huey delivered her bomb to put the Muleriders up 4-2. Ward then called game as she struck out the Reddies' final batter with runners at the corners. 

Game Two

Final: SAU 3 - 1 HSU

The Reddies saw a pair of pitchers enter the circle for game two as Brooke Johnson started the outing and left in the third inning for Makenna Keeton to enter. Johnson allowed five hits, three runs, one earned run, and one home run. She struck out one batter in her two innings played. Keeton would not allow Southern Arkansas to round the bases again as she struck out four batters, walked three, saw seven flyouts, three groundouts, and faced 17 batters in her five innings played. 

Neither squad was able to consistently hit at the plate during game two, but the Muleriders' early home run by Moctezuma and a pair of runs off of errors secured the series for Southern Arkansas as Rogers allowed just one run on a solo-run dinger in the bottom of the seventh. The bomb came as a lead-off score for the Reddies, but their efforts were futile as the junior transfer struck out the next three batters to earn her fifth win of 2024. 

The final outing of the series between these two rivals is set for 2:00 p.m. tomorrow as the Muleriders now look to sweep the series with the weekend already claimed. For more on upcoming events, check out www.MuleriderAthletics.com