PITTSBURG, Kan. - Southern Arkansas' eighth NCAA DII Regional appearance has come to an end as Team 26 fell to Great American Conference foe Oklahoma Baptist in the tournament's first elimination game. 

The Muleriders fought to the very end with the Bison as the GAC's tournament runner-ups avoided the run-rule with some late-contest scoring in the fifth and sixth innings. Oklahoma Baptist took command of the contest early and often as the Bison offense scored in the first five innings (2-2-1-1-2) on 14 hits and finalized the game with an 8-4 win. 

Senior Sydney Ward made her final start of her collegiate career and as a Mulerider as the Paris, Arkansas native pitched the first three innings in which there was eight hits, five runs (three earned), one walk, and one strikeout. Ward concluded her career at Southern Arkansas with 92 games started out of 101 appearances, 498.1 innings played, 447 strikeouts, 15 shutouts, four no-hitters, and finished after facing 2,130 batters. Ward in her final season was honored to the All-GAC First Team for her third consecutive season as she also earned GAC Pitcher of the Week later in the season (4-22-24). 

Junior Brinson Rogers entered the fourth for the senior's relief, but was soon taken out after four hits, three runs (all earned), two walks, and one hit batter. 

The Statesboro, Georgia product was brought out for the utility senior Morgan McAlexander who was also making her last appearance in the Mulerider uniform. McAlexander, a native of New Boston, Texas, held the Bison to no added runs in her 1.2 innings pitched and just two hits allowed while also striking out two of the six batters she faced. In the last three outings, the senior had played in three different position (right field, first base, and pitcher). 

In her five seasons in collegiate softball (UT-Tyler & Southern Arkansas), the Bowie County native did not record her first at-bat until this campaign and she finished with a .288 batting average, .344 on-base percentage, .356 slugging percentage, 17 hits (2 doubles; one triple), 21 total bases, and ten runs with 59 at-bats. 

McAlexander's career has primarily been in the circle as she has had eight starts in 41 appearances with a 3.26 ERA over the course of 83.2 innings played. The senior has recorded 88 strikeouts in her career. 

Southern Arkansas' scoring efforts were subdued by the GAC's Freshman of the Year Maggie Place despite the rookie allowing 10 hits to the Muleriders. Ariana Rolle and Bella Angelo each accounted for a pair of hits as Rolle scored a run in her final collegiate contest. Making her way home twice today was senior Kamryn Moctezuma as she scored in the fifth and sixth in an attempt to bring the outing within reach again. While she was not the final Mulerider to score, Haley Nillen scored her final run of her collegiate career in the fifth following Moctezuma on an Angelo double. 

Rolle caps off her collegiate career of six seasons with two years at Southern Arkansas and four at Virginia-Wesleyan. The graduate student has made 218 starts out of 231 appearances with a batting average of .380, on-base percentage of .418, slugging percentage of .431, with 664 at-bats, 252 hits, 160 runs, 266 total bases, and 52 RBI. 

Moctezuma finalizes her time with the Muleriders as the senior started in all of her 111 appearances with a .309 batting average, .384 on-base percentage, .494 slugging percentage, 356 at-bats, 110 hits, 63 runs, 176 total bases, and 13 home runs. 

Nillen concludes her collegiate stretch after three seasons at the University of Auburn and a pair of campaigns under Jason Anderson at Southern Arkansas. The fifth-year athlete finishes her career with 96 starts and 143 appearances with a .284 batting average, .383 on-base percentage, .448 slugging percentage, 306 at-bats, 87 hits, 39 runs, 137 total bases, 62 RBI, and 10 home runs. In her final campaign, Nillen finished with an All-GAC Honorable Mention while also accounting for a GAC Player of the Week honor (4-1-24)

Another decorated senior for the Muleriders to wrap up her collegiate stint is Gracie King as the Winnsboro, Louisiana product concluded her three years at Southern Arkansas with a start in 148 contests out of 150 appearances. The Bayou State native finished with a batting average of .270, an on-base percentage of .377, a slugging percentage of .502, 434 at-bats, 117 hits, 80 runs, 218 total bases, 22 home runs, and 86 RBI.

Other Muleriders finishing their time at Southern Arkansas include Satillo, Mississippi native Dempsie Lindsey, Greenbrier, Arkansas native Cassidy Lear, Indianola, Oklahoma native Kate Faber, St. Louis,  Missouri native Madyson Pogue, El Dorado, Arkansas native Ava Dunn, and Pioneer, Louisiana native Cailynn Simms.