WEATHERFORD, Okla. – Trace Shoup recorded six hits, five RBI and scored twice,
Mikel Howell earned his sixth win of the season and Southern Arkansas split Friday's Great American Conference action with Southwestern Oklahoma State. SAU suffered a 7-6 setback in the day's first contest as the Bulldogs walked off the visitors in the ninth. The Muleriders bounced back in game two with a 13-9 victory to force a 1 p.m. rubber match. Live coverage links are available at
www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
In the series opener, SAU tied the game at 4-4 with a three-run sixth inning that pushed across runs via a hit-by-pitch to
Clay Burrows, a sacrifice fly from
Grant Roosma and a run-scoring single by Shoup. The Muleriders (24-15, 16-10 GAC) responded again in the eighth inning with two runs as Roosma tripled in a tally and Shoup singled home the former to tie the game at 6-6, before the Bulldogs used a leadoff single and a fielding error to set the stage for the walk off win in the ninth.
Jeremy Adorno fanned 14 in the no decision. He tossed 7.0 innings allowing seven hits and three earned runs.
Austin Adair pitched an inning and
Sean Sieve faced the final batter.
In the win, SAU recorded a dozen hits for the second-straight game and used a five-run fourth, a three-run fifth and a three-run seventh to back Howell and cushion its advantage to earn the split. Shoup provided all the early offense through three frames with a pair of solo shots as it was knotted 2-2 heading into the fourth.
Burrows was again plunked to score a run, Roosma doubled the bases empty and Shoup singled a full-count pitch through the right side to give SAU a 7-2 lead in the fourth.
Mikey McGinnis homered to plate three more in the fifth, while Burrows reached on a fielder's choice to plate a run and Roosma left the yard in center field for SAU's final two of a three-run seventh.
Howell went 5.2 innings allowing ten hits and four earned runs with six strikeouts. He left Bulldogs on base in each of the first four innings before working a clean fifth. Sieve tossed a third of an inning and
Isaiah Haynes worked the final frame facing one over the minimum.
Roosma enjoyed a 7-RBI afternoon with three runs scored and
Jaden Woolbright collected four hits and scored three times.
