RUSSELLVILLE — Southern Arkansas lost all three games to Arkansas Tech in their week-ending series.
The Muleriders now fall to 24-14 as they hit the 13-10 mark in league play. With the pair of losses, SAU falls behind Southwestern Oklahoma State by two games at fifth in the league and is ahead of ATU by just one.
SAU was uprooted by Arkansas Tech’s pitching staff that restricted the Muleriders to four runs over the weekend. The Golden Suns hung nine runs on the Muleriders during the series.
Game 1
Arkansas Tech 1, Southern Arkansas 0
CLICK HERE to see the box score.
Sydney Ward got the start in game two for her 18th of the campaign and her eighth complete game as well. The senior surrendered just six hits, four walks, and one hit to the Suns over the course of ten innings. The Paris, Arkansas product struck down nine out of the 39 batters she faced in the outing.
Neither squad was able to score a run up until Arkansas Tech scored the walk-off run in the bottom of the tenth inning with a single up the middle to bat in the winning run.
The Golden Suns pitching staff surrendered just five hits to the Muleriders who put eight runners on base in the contest and had left all eight on.
Game 2
Arkansas Tech 4, Southern Arkansas 1
CLICK HERE to see the box score.
Brinson Rogers started the final matchup of the series and stayed in the circle through the first three innings uninterrupted prior to coming out for Morgan McAlexander who made the move from left field back to the circle. Rogers was relieved with the score at 1-1, but was soon brought back out to finish the inning after Tech added a pair of runs for a 1-3 lead. Rogers stayed in the circle for the next two innings before being truly relieved by Corie Byrd at the start of the bottom half of the sixth. The Golden Suns were able to produce another run the bottom of the fourth, but did not add to their score for the remainder of the contest. Rogers received the loss as the junior conceded five hits, four walks, three runs, and two hits by pitches. The Peach State native was responsible for six strikeouts in game three.
Southern Arkansas managed just four hits in the contest led by junior Bella Angelo who recorded two hits on three at-bats with one run.
The Muleriders now look forward as they prepare for the second half of their season series with the Arkansas-Monticello Cotton Blossoms with the road half coming this next Tuesday. SAU hops back into a three-game league series this coming weekend with Southwestern Oklahoma State coming to Dawson Field.
