MAGNOLIA, Ark. — Mulerider Softball began its final regular season series following Team 28's Senior Day ceremony, in which 12 seniors were recognized. For the final regular season series, it was one of, if not the most pivotal series out of all Great American Conference matchups this season, as what is on the line the title of the Regular Season Champions in the GAC. The Muleriders were tasked with taking on the Oklahoma Baptist Bison, who prior to today's doubleheader was the second-place team in the league, while the Blue and Gold sat at first. Southern Arkansas ended up dropping both games against the Bison, both by one-run deficits.
Game One | L, 3-2
The first matchup of the day was majorly a pitchers dual, even though all five runs in the game came off of the long ball, as OBU hit two home runs while the Muleriders accounted for one.
Emma Duncan pitched her 18th complete game in the series opener, as the Canadian recorded just her third loss of the season, now at 25-3. Duncan was hit off of seven times in the game, but she allowed only three runs with six waved batters to go with it. Both Duncan and OBU's Jaycee Shaffer recorded 130+ pitches in the opener, as Emma recorded 134 pitches and Shaffer tallied 144.
The Bison got on the board very early, as the group had their lead-off batter Kaley Cook go long with a solo shot over the left field wall for the 1-0 advantage early.
After a scoreless second and third, OBU's Nichelle Marshall added on to the unit's lead with a two-run shot over the centerfield wall, for a 3-0 lead.
Despite having multiple runners on base in all seven innings, the Muleriders did not manage to scratch across a run until Brooklyn Reed hit a bomb to the video board for a two-run dinger. The home run went on to give the Muleriders some momentum, but was soon snuffed out by Oklahoma Baptist, falling in game one 3-2.
Game Two | L, 4-3 (9 inn.)
The following bout had a different beginning, as Kassie Rhodes tallied her 17th start of the campaign and went 8.1 innings before being relieved for Corie Byrd in the top of the ninth inning. Rhodes ended up being credited with the loss in the outing, also recording just her third loss this season. Kassie held the Bison in check for the majority of the game, but was outlasted in extras.
The first runs of the game were also the first runs to not come off a home run, as the Muleriders got the scoring started in the bottom of the second with a Sophia Luetticke single to shortstop that batted in Payton Owens for the early 1-0 lead. The group was not done after that though, as America Rubio then drew a walk for another run with the bases juiced, 2-0.
Both groups went scoreless in the third, but the Bison were able to counter the Blue and Gold's two-spot with one of their own in the top of the fourth. After having one run batted in with a single, the group tied the contest with a sacrifice fly to centerfield, 2-2.
From then on, neither group plated another run until the top of the ninth, when the Bison had finally broken through that threshold with a double down the left field line to score one, 3-2, but then tacked on another insurance run with a sacrifice fly to right field, going up 4-2 heading to the bottom of the ninth.
Southern Arkansas looked to bring some life back to the bats in the bottom of the final frame, but the group was quickly met with a two-out situation. Luetticke then stepped to the plate to bring that life back, as the senior hit a solo shot over the centerfield wall to cut the deficit to one. Oklahoma Baptist, once again, snuffed out the Muleriders' momentum with a quick ground out, as SAU dropped game two 4-3.
Up Next:
The two look to run it back tomorrow afternoon, as the Muleriders look for a bounce back opportunity before heading to Bentonville, Arkansas next weekend for the Great American Conference Championship Tournament.
