MAGNOLIA, Ark. — There is no better way to start the week than your regularly scheduled sweeping and that is how Mulerider Softball's 27th team starts their week as the group caps off their three-game Great American Conference series against the 10th-ranked Harding Lady Bisons with a three-game shutout sweeping over the top-ten group.
Southern Arkansas swept the Lady Bisons after defeating the group in the series doubleheader on Monday with scores of 2-0 and 4-0. While the Muleriders have gotten accustomed to shutting out opponents this campaign, the squad now adds to its resume three shutout victories over the GAC's top team in terms of batting average (0.342), hits (361), RBIs (211), and total runs (236).
Game One (W, 2-0)
Southern Arkansas prevailed in the defensive showdown as Kassie Rhodes led the way for the Muleriders against the 25 Harding batters she faced. Rhodes, a native of Quitman, Arkansas, accounted for her second shutout of the season and her fourth complete game. In the outing, the junior allowed just five hits and recorded one strikeout.
The Muleriders scored just a pair of runs with both coming off the bat of Savannah Clausen as the senior from Colorado recorded a sacrifice fly in the top of the first inning to score Jocelyn Ulrich for an unearned run following a throwing error by the Lady Bisons. Clausen's second RBI came just over an inning later in the third as the senior sailed a ball over the right-center field wall for a solo home run as the final run of the outing.
Game Two (W, 4-0)
The Blue and Gold was led in the circle by the three-time NFCA DII National Pitcher of the Week and seven-time GAC Pitcher of the Week Brinson Rogers in the series finale after the Muleriders had already won the their series against Harding for the first time in just over two seasons. Rogers ended the series with her 14th shutout and 17th complete game of the season. The Statesboro, Georgia native surrendered just a pair of hits on the day and fanned six out of the 24 batters she faced. On the day, Southern Arkansas did not allow a single walk.
Southern Arkansas tacked on its runs early and fairly often against the Lady Bisons as the Muleriders scored their first run in the top of the second on a bases-loaded walk, scoring Kelsie Adams. Not too long after, Regan Dillon was credited with an RBI after sacrificing herself on a flout to score Sophia Stoddard for the 2-0 advantage. SAU picked up where they left off as the group added another run on an Adams single down the left field line which advanced America Rubio to third. However, Rubio would score on the play as the Bisons fielding was credited with an error for Rubio to score the unearned run, 3-0. In the same half inning, Payton Owens singled to right field to score Adams for her second run of the day, 4-0.
Harding eventually switched pitchers back to Brooklyn Gobble, who pitched in game one of the series. Gobble did not allow another run to the Muleriders, but neither did Rogers to the Lady Bisons.
Next Up:
With the triumph, Southern Arkansas continues its winning streak, now at 22, and looks to keep up its record-setting pace into Ada, Oklahoma for the coming weekend series against the East Central Tigers.
