MAGNOLIA, Ark. – With the conclusion of the home schedule for the 2025 regular season comes tears as Mulerider Softball recognized eight spectacular senior ball players before the group's rubber match against the Southeastern Oklahoma State Savage Storm. Those tears were quickly shifted into tears of joy, however, as with the Muleriders' victory over the Savage Storm, Southern Arkansas clinched the Great American Conference outright regular season title with the series win.
 
The title is SAU's first regular-season title since the 2022 season (Co-Champs) and their first outright championship title since the 2019 season, as the program collects its fifth regular-season championship.
 
Game Three (W, 6-0)
After a quick three-up and three-down top of the first by Brinson Rogers, the Muleriders did not sit back and let Southeastern Oklahoma gain early control of the game such as the previous two outings. Regan Dillon got on base as the lead-off batter by reaching on a throwing error and advancing on that errant throw to second. Sophia Stoddard followed that up with a single to the shortstop, which held Dillon at second. America Rubio then singled to left center field and scored Dillon with Stoddard heading to second. After the first two outs of the half inning and the two runners still on first and second, Rubio and Stoddard advanced to second and third on a wild pitch and were then both sent home by a Savannah Clausen single through the left side, 3-0.
 
Following this came an inning and a half of no change to the score until the bottom of the third that was led off with Rubio walking, Haley Cummings singling through the left side, Kelsie Adams walking, and Clausen walking to score Rubio and keep the bases loaded all before the first out in the bottom of the third, 4-0. The Savage Storm saw a pitching change after Rubio's walk-in run and struck out the next batter with Jenna Huey then lining out to left field but scoring Cummings for the sacrifice fly, 5-0.
 
Rogers held SE scoreless again in the fourth, and the Muleriders added on one more insurance run in the inning as Dillon started the bottom of the fourth with a double to left field, but was followed by a pair of outs. Dillon would then score on a single by Cummings and increase the lead to 6-0.
 
While the Blue and Gold saw chances to end the contest early and run-rule Southeastern Oklahoma, the group was unable to push any more runs across and any extra runs were not needed as Rogers and the Mulerider defense shut down the Savage Storm's batting to just three hits in the game and no runs.
 
Rogers made up for her loss on Friday as the senior exited the Dr. Margaret Downing Softball Complex with eight batters fanned, only three hits allowed, and three walks given up while twirling her 18^th shutout of the season in her 22^nd complete game on the year. After the weekend, Rogers has also climbed the records ladder as she is now second all-time for strikeouts in a season for the program as she now sits at 254 this season.
 
As mentioned, with the triumph, Mulerider Softball is the outright Great American Conference regular season champions for the team's fifth GAC regular season title. With the group's regular season title, Southern Arkansas claims the one seed at the GAC Championship Tournament in Bentonville, Arkansas, which will be taking place from May 1 – May 3.
 
Next Up:
The regular season home schedule comes to a close for the Muleriders, but the group's efforts are not finished as SAU now travels to Shawnee, Oklahoma, where they will face the 2024 GAC regular season champions for the final three-game series of the campaign. That series is scheduled to take place on Friday (Apr. 25) and Saturday (Apr 26) with a single game at 6:00 PM on Friday and the doubleheader on Saturday at noon.