SHAWNEE, Okla. – The No. 35-ranked Mulerider baseball team built a big lead early in the game that helped stave off a late offensive Bison rally as Southern Arkansas totaled nine runs on 14 hits on Saturday afternoon to take the series over the No. 24-ranked Oklahoma Baptist with a 9-8 victory in game three.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Southern Arkansas wasted little time starting off the scoring in the game as back-to-back singles from Austin Baker and Jake Tisevich to lead-off the first inning provoked a hasty 5-0 advantage for the Muleriders by the end of the frame.
Senior Jacob Richardson plated SAU's first run in that inning on a single to left field that scored Baker, followed by a walk issued to senior Sam Mrstik that loaded the bases for the Muleriders.
With two outs, junior Dakota Wright quickly capitalized on his opportunity at the plate as he cleared the bases with one swing to mark his second grand slam of the season, and pull SAU ahead 5-0.
The Bison got on the board in the bottom of the second inning after the lead-off runner reached on a double to left-center field and later scored on an RBI single to make it 5-1, SAU.
Southern Arkansas and Oklahoma Baptist each added one run apiece in the third inning to make it a 6-2 score as senior James Trevanion connected with his third homerun of the year in the top of the frame to give SAU its sixth run.
A pair of errors on the Bison defense in the fourth inning allowed the Muleriders to add a pair of runs in the frame, and a third defensive error for the Bison in the fifth saw SAU tally another run to take a 9-2 lead.
Senior Jacob Stroder got the start on the bump for SAU and dealt eight strikeouts through five innings pitched before the Bison connected with a 2-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead to 9-4 and, afterwards, added a pair of base runners on a single and a walk to induce a pitching change for the Muleriders.
Redshirt freshman Tanner Vaught received the ball for SAU in the frame and struck out a pair of batters, but gave up three runs on a pair of hits in the inning that gave way to a 9-7 score at the end of the sixth.
The Bison got down to a one-run deficit in the bottom of the seventh after a walked batter eventually crossed home on a RBI-single that brought it to 9-8, SAU.
Nick Starr would come in for the save situation in the bottom of the eighth for Southern Arkansas and allowed just one hit with one out that put the tying run on base for the Bison before retiring the next two batters to get out of the frame without any further damage.
Starr continued his efficiency on the mound into the bottom of the ninth as he retired the Bison's final three chances at catching the Mulerider lead with a pair of pop-outs and a looking strikeout to end the game at a 9-8 final decision.
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