MAGNOLIA, Ark. — Another weekend of action has gotten underway at Dawson Field inside the Dr. Margaret Downing Softball Complex, as the 11th-ranked Muleriders took on the East Central Tigers in the groups' Great American Conference series opener. Southern Arkansas handled business, with Team 28 defeating ECU with a dominant 9-0 final score.
Game One | W, 9-0 (6 inn.)
Making her 24th start, and pitching her 19th complete game, Emma Duncan led the way for the Muleriders in the series opener, as the grad student spun her seventh shutout while allowing just one hit, four walks, and waved five batters. With the win, the Canadian tallied her 19th win of the season, now at 19-2.
After a three-up-three-down top of the first, the Blue and Gold came out hot in the bottom frame, with a lead-off walk drawn by Maddie Leal. Just after, Sophia Luetticke reached first after recording a sacrifice bunt, following an indecisive fielder's choice, which had Leal advance to third. America Rubio then accounted for another sac bunt, which had her thrown out at first, but batted in Leal and pushed Luetticke to second, SAU up 1-0. Up next came Regan Dillon with a single to right field, who advanced to second and then third on an error, while also batting in Luetticke, SAU up 2-0. Following the second out in the frame, Kelsie Adams batted in the final run of the inning with a single up the middle to bat in Dillon, SAU up 3-0.
Following a scoreless second inning, Southern Arkansas tacked on two more runs, which started up with a lead-off single by Ame Rubio. Dillon then pushed Rubio to second on a single to left field. After a single to the pitcher by Paris Endris, Adams recorded another RBI, as the senior flew out to right field, but batted in Rubio from third, SAU up 4-0. For the second run of the inning, Brooklyn Reed singled up the middle to bat in Dillon for the 5-0 after three.
The Muleriders did not score again until the bottom of the sixth, with the group starting the sequence with a one-out single by Rubio, who was subbed out for pinch runner Briana Jones. Dillon followed it up with a single to right centerfield, and was subbed out for pinch runner Logan Raupp. Then came Endirs to reach on an indecisive fielder's choice, which loaded the bases. Adams came back to the plate, and walked to first, with which recorded another RBI for the Texan, scoring Jones, SAU up 6-0. Raupp was then batted in on a Reed single to center field for the Muleriders to go up 7-0. Then came the walk-off at-bat, with Payton Owens recording a ground-rule double over the right field wall, to bat in Endris and Adams for the 9-0 final.
Up Next:
Southern Arkansas and East Central wrap up the league series tomorrow, back at Dawson Field inside the Dr. Margaret Downing Softball Complex, with the series doubleheader starting up at 1:00 PM.
