ALVA, Okla. — The seventh-ranked Muleriders (25-2 | 10-1 GAC) took their longest trip of the regular season, as the Blue and Gold ventured to play the Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers (8-17 | 2-9 GAC). Southern Arkansas took on NWOSU in a series opening doubleheader and took both games, but not without trials.
SAU vs. NWOSU | Game One | W, 8-7 (8 inn.)
Southern Arkansas needed extra innings in order to defeat the home team Rangers in game one, as the Muleriders found themselves down midway through the outing, but climbed their way back to eventually finish on top of NWOSU.
Emma Duncan got the win against the Rangers, as the grad student pitched seven of the eight innings, with Corie Byrd coming in to pitch the sixth inning before be relieved for a reentered Duncan to close out the game.
The scoring got started up by NWOSU in the bottom of the first, as bases were loaded via two walks and a hit by pitch. After the first out of the frame, the Rangers drew another walk, which resulted in a 1-0 score. The Blue and Gold ended up stranding the three base runners to hold the deficit to one run.
Southern Arkansas was unable to retaliate until the top of the fourth, as Paris Endris led the inning off with a solo shot over the left field wall to tie at 1-1.
The score held up until the bottom of the fifth, as the Rangers looked to have blown the game open with three more runs. The sequence started with a one out reach to first on an error, followed by a Jamie Molina home run to go up 3-1. NWOSU scratched across one more run in the inning with another error to reach biers base that resulted in a run scored by Giselle Baumbach, 4-1.
The Muleriders continued to search for its offense, and did just that in the top of the sixth, as Team 28 added five runs in the frame. The run started up with an America Rubio dinger over the left field wall, down 4-2. Endris drew a follow-up walk and advanced to second on a Kelsie Adams ground out. Endris was then batted in by a Payton Owens single, cutting to the deficit to one run at 4-3. Following the second out of frame, Jenny Bouthillier walked, which was followed by a Maddie Leal single to right field. That single helped advance Owens to scratch across the tying run after an error by the right fielder, 4-4. The Muleriders tacked on two more runs after Sophia Luetticke reached on an error, which scored Bouthillier and Owens, SAU up 6-4.
The Rangers answered right back in the bottom half, as NWOSU scratched across three runs in the frame, which was started up with a pair of one out singles, a two out single (6-6), and then an error to advance runners and score another run, Muleriders down 7-6.
Leading off the top of the seventh, Regan Dillon doubled into center field and then saw Leigha Gilbert pinch run for her. Following that runner exchange, Rubio drew a walk, but was followed by two fly outs to back the Muleriders into a corner. On the second fly out, Gilbert and Rubio both advanced a base, and Rubio then had Brooklyn Reed pinch run for her. Owens tacked on another RBI after batting in Gilbert to tie and keep the Muleriders alive, 7-7. After holding the Rangers scoreless in the bottom of the seventh, the two groups went into extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, SAU began with back-to-back ground outs, but then saw a double to left field by Luetticke. After reentering to bat, Dillon scored Luetticke with a double to take the lead at 8-7. The bottom half of the frame was no issue for the Mulerider defense, as the Rangers went three-up and three-down.
SAU vs. NWOSU | Game Two | W, 5-1
The following outing saw a complete game pitched by Kassie Rhodes, as the senior surrendered just one run and one walk while waving five batters. The Muleriders saw a similar start in the second outing, as the Rangers jumped to an early 1-0 lead, but SAU took over the bout with a lead change in the top of the third.
After a three-up and three-up down start to game two for Team 28, NWOSU scored first, which started with a walk by a sac bunt to advance the runner, Kaitlyn Corn, to second. Jamie Molina then batted in Corn for the 1-0 advantage with a single to right field.
The Muleriders missed out on scoring in the top of the second, by the squad scratch two runs across the dish in the top third frame, as AvaMarie Perry led off with a single up the middle. Perry was then caught stealing for the first out of the frame. After a ground out, Madde Leal singled and was advanced to second with Luetticke getting hit by a pitch. Leal was batted in by a Dillon single to tie the outing at 1-1. With Luetticke now at third, she was bat in by a Rubio single up the middle to take the lead, 2-1.
After another shutout inning delivered by the Muleriders, Southern Arkansas tacked on another run in the top of the fourth. To begin, Endris drew a walk and advanced to second with a Adams single to left field. Owens then accounted for another RBI on the day with a double up the middle to score Endris for an insurance run, 3-1.
Neither group could on to its score until the Blue and Gold did so in the top seventh frame. After a lead-off ground out, Leal drew a walk and was batted in with a Luetticke bomb over the center field wall for the final runs scored of the day, 5-1.
Up Next:
Southern Arkansas will take on the Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers in the series finale tomorrow at 11:00 AM.
