RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. — Sealing off another successful weekend of conference action on the road, the #10 Muleriders (20-2 | 5-1 GAC) swept the Arkansas Tech Golden Suns (10-8 | 3-3 GAC) with final scores of 12-6 and 12-0. With the wins, SAU has now defeated Arkansas Tech in seven-straight outings, which marks the Muleriders' longest win streak against the Golden Suns.
Game Two vs. Arkansas Tech (W, 12-6)
Southern Arkansas got the scoring started early in game two of the series, as America Rubio reached on a fielder's choice in the top of the second to score Sophia Luetticke, 1-0.
Moving on to the third inning, the group tacked on two more runs in the top of the third, as Rubio recorded a sacrifice fly to score Maddie Leal, 2-0. Luetticke then got batted in again, as she scored on a Paris Endris sacrifice fly, 3-0.
Arkansas Tech managed to counter the Muleriders' early lead, as the group loaded the bases and saw Aubree Jones homer over the right field wall for a grand slam, in which the Golden Suns went up 4-3.
In the fifth, Southern Arkansas countered back, with Rubio again. The El Paso, Texas native singled to the short stop, with which recorded another RBI with Leal scoring, tying at 4-4.
After a scoreless bottom five frame by ATU, the Muleriders unloaded with the bats in the top of the sixth. The group got started up with a Jenny Bouthillier single to score Kelsie Adams from second, 5-4. Madde Leal then singled to center field, which advanced pinch runner Briana Jones from first to then score after a fielding error, 6-4. Luetticke then singled to right field and scored Leal from second, 7-4. After a Regan Dillon single to put runners in scoring position, Rubio batted in two more runs with a single, scoring Luetticke and pinch runner Leigha Gilbert, 9-4. One more run was added in the frame, as Rubio eventually scored from third on a wild pitch, 10-4.
In the bottom frame of the sixth, the Golden Suns homered once more, which scored two runs for the group, cutting Team 28's lead to four runs, 10-6. The Blue and Gold tallied on two runs of their own in the top half of the seventh, as the group saw Rubio record two more RBIs, with a single to right field to score Bouthillier and Luetticke, 12-6.
Game Three vs. Arkansas Tech (W, 12-0)
The series finale against the Golden Suns was all Muleriders, as the group went on to shutout Arkansas Tech with another 12-run game.
Back to where she started in the first game of the day, Rubio reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Leal to score on a muffed throw, to go up 1-0 in the top of the first. The Muleriders were not finished though, as Adams then singled in the infield to score Luetticke, 2-0. One more run came for SAU, as Payton Owens reached on a fielder's choice to allow Regan Dillon to score on a throwing error, 3-0.
Southern Arkansas added on three more runs in the top of the second, as Paris Endris doubled too score Luetticke and Dillon, 5-0. That was then followed by Adams singling to center field to score Endris on a throwing error, 6-0.
After two more scoreless innings, Luetticke recorded a sacrifice fly to shallow left field, that score pinch runner Leigha Gilbert in the top of the fifth, 7-0.
When the scoring was thought to be done, Team 28 had other plans in the top of the seventh inning, as the Muleriders started with a Dillon double down the left field line, that scored Bouthillier and Luetticke, 9-0. Rubio was able to bat in another run with a single to score Dillon from second base, 10-0, and then finally Endris homered over the left field wall to score her and Rubio for the 12-0 final.
Up Next:
The Muleriders next outing will take place at home, as Southern Arkansas will compete in a GAC three-game series at Dawson Field at the Dr. Margaret Downing Softball Complex on March 6-7 against the Ouachita Baptist Tigers.
