MONTICELLO, Ark. – The Muleriders and the Cotton Blossoms matched up in White County for the two's first Tuesday doubleheader of the season. To cap off round one of this season's Battle of the Timberlands on the diamond, Southern Arkansas swept Arkansas-Monticello after outscoring the group 13-1 over two games (8-0/5, 5-1).
 
Starting games one and two for the Muleriders was the only two-time DII National Pitcher of the Week in the program, Brinson Rogers. In her two appearances, Rogers allowed no runs, five hits, just one walk, and 12 strikeouts (6 in each game).
 
Multiple batters had standout performances, and three that stood out the most were Regan Dillon, America Rubio, and Kelsie Adams as all three accounted for a home run in the doubleheader.
 
Dillon for the night went 1-3 with three runs scored and three RBI while also drawing four walks and taking one hit by pitch. Dillon's best hit of the night was the one that put the cherry on top of game one as the junior delivered a bomb over the left field wall for a three-run home run.
 
Rubio's and Adam's home runs came in game two as the pair were responsible for the first two scores of the game. The redshirt junior from El Paso, Texas belted the first home run of the contest with a stroke over the center field wall for a two-run dinger to score Dillon. Adams then followed this up in the next inning for a solo shot over the left field wall.
 
Game One (W, 8-0)
In both contests, the Muleriders dominated defensively with SAU claiming the early lead in game one with Dillon scoring on a wild pitch.
 
Two more scores came in the second as Payton Owens and Cassidy Lear both scored on a fielder's choice to second. Another run on a wild pitch came in the third with Adams plating a run to go up 4-0.
 
In the fourth, Southern Arkansas was kept quiet on the bats but drew a pair of walks before lining out and flying out to the outfield.
 
 After a three-up and three-down bottom fourth, the Blue and Gold called game in the fifth after having the five and six holes go down early. Jenna Huey singled down the left-field line and stole second shortly after. Owens then singled to the shortstop and advanced Huey to third. Lear then singled up the middle and scored Huey while also advancing Owens to second. The two runners both advanced on a passed ball and then Dillon launched the ball over the left field walk for a three-run homer to go up 8-0 and let the defense do their job for the team's sixth straight run-rule victory.
 
Game Two W, 5-1)
The second half of the doubleheader saw another dominating performance by the Mulerider defense as the group held the Cotton Blossom scoreless through 5.2 innings before finally allowing a run in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Both groups were held scoreless through two innings up until Southern Arkansas broke the silence in the top of the third with a Rubio's home run to score her and Dillon, 2-0.
 
With Adams as the lead-off batter in the top of the fourth, the Van Alstyne, Texas native accounted for her third home run of the campaign going over the left-field wall for the 3-0 lead.
 
The Muleriders scored another run in the top of the fifth as Ulrich scored on a sacrifice fly off of the bat of Adams, 4-0.
 
To relieve Rogers and to work on closing out the game in the bottom of the sixth was Jaycie Hall. The Blossoms took advantage of the pitching change as Aubree Goodnight delivered a single to center field. Vyanna Quezada then came in to pinch run for Goodnight as the pinch runner stole second soon after Hall recorded the first out of the inning with a KL. Quezada then advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored off a ground out. The defense limited the damage with a ground out just after.
 
Just for insurance, Southern Arkansas tacked on another run in the top of the seventh as Savannah Clausen doubled down the left-field line to score Rubio for the 5-1 lead and final score of the game.
 
Next Up:
Mulerider Softball is back home this weekend for their Great American Conference series with Northwestern Oklahoma State. The series is scheduled to start on Friday for the series doubleheader at 4:00 PM. The groups will then convene once more on Saturday at 12:00 PM for the series finale.