MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Mulerider Softball matched up with the Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers as the group returned home after being away from Dawson Field for seven straight contests. Southern Arkansas swept the doubleheader against NWOSU and finished both outings in unplanned fashion as the Muleriders run-ruled Northwestern Oklahoma 8-0 in six innings for game one and defeated the Rangers 3-2 in eight for game two. Both contests were finished with walk-off hits by the Muleriders.
 
Game One (W, 8-0/6)
Southern Arkansas controlled game one of the series from nearly the get-go as the Muleriders struck first in the outing with a single from Jenna Huey to right-center field that scored Kelsie Adams, 1-0.
 
The next score for the unit came in the third as Payton Owens recorded just her second home run of the season and second in just a week for the 2-0 lead.
 
The scoreboard remained silent for an inning, but Cassidy Lear created some noise in the fifth with a single up the middle to score Huey and push Owens to second, 3-0. Going back to the top of the lineup, Regan Dillon delivered her first triple of the campaign to score Owens and Lear for the 5-0 lead. That was not it for the fifth though as Savannah Clausen added on two more runs with a double to right-center field to score Dillon and America Rubio, 7-0.
 
SAU was unable to seal the victory in the fifth, but the lead-off batter of the bottom of the sixth, Sophia Stoddard, called game with her second dinger of the season sailing over the right field wall towards the cows to walk off game one in run-rule fashion, 8-0.
 
Starting and finishing the contest in the circle for game one was the four-time GAC Pitcher of the Week and two-time Wilson/NFCA DII Pitcher of the Week, Brinson Rogers. In the contest, the senior from Statesboro, Georgia allowed just three hits and no walks while also boasting a season-best 13 strikeouts against just 21 batters. Rogers produced a perfect game through 4.1 innings before finally surrendering a hit in the top of the fifth.
 
Players of the Game
Brinson Rogers: 13 Ks, no walks, three hits allowed
Sophia Stoddard: 1-for-3 batting, walk-off home run
Payton Owens: 1-for-1 batting, two runs, one home run, one RBI, one walk
Regan Dillon: 1-for-3 batting, two RBI, one triple, one run
Savannah Clausen: 1-for-3 batting, two RBI, one run
 
Game Two (W, 3-2/8)
The following contest saw a much different beginning than the first as Northwestern Oklahoma began the scoring in the top of the second after Avery Clark doubled to left field as the lead-off batter and with two outs Madeline Pack homered over the left-field wall and led 2-0 with the two-run homer.
 
The Muleriders were not able to counter the Rangers until the bottom of the third as Kelsie Adams recorded her fourth home run of the season to score two runs and tie the ballgame at 2-2. Putting Adams in the position to tie the outing was Rubio with a single up the middle for the Blue and Gold's second hit of the game.
 
It seemed as if the Rangers were going to take the lead in the top of the fifth with another Pack dinger, but as the ball looked to go beyond the center-field wall, Rubio leaped and reached over the barrier to make the grab and keep the outing tied for the remainder of the scheduled seven innings.
 
With Rogers in the circle to start the eighth, the SAU defense stranded one runner on base with one hit and entered the bottom half of the inning with the chance to clinch the game.
 
After the first out of the half inning, Lear drew a walk and was shortly followed by a Dillon single to left center. Next up to bat was Haley Cummings and the redshirt sophomore was in search of her first hit of the campaign and did just so to juice the bases with Rubio to come up to bat. Once again playing the hero role in game two, Rubio singled to left field and batted in Lear for the Muleriders to clinch the series against NWOSU with the 3-2 final in eight innings.
 
The Muleriders saw three pitchers in game two with Jaycie Hall getting her sixth start of the campaign and was relieved for Kassie Rhodes after 1.2 innings of play. Rhodes held the Rangers scoreless in her 5.1 innings of play before Coach Jason Anderson sent out Rogers to close out the game and earn her 15^th win of the season (15-2).
 
Players of the Game
Kassie Rhodes: 5.1 IP, three Ks, one hit allowed, no walks
Brinson Rogers: 1.0 IP, one K, one hit allowed, no walks, clinched game
America Rubio: 2-for-3 batting, one run, one RBI, two walks, game-winning hit
Regan Dillon: 3-for-4 batting, one walk
Kelsie Adams: 1-for-4 batting, one home run, two RBI, one run, game-tying home run
 
Next Up:
The Muleriders and the Rangers will meet back at Dawson Field inside the Dr. Margaret Downing Softball Complex for the series finale on Saturday at high noon.