MAGNOLIA – Following a 14-hit, 12-run performance in game two of the Central Super Regional, the Southern Arkansas Softball program is headed back to the NCAA Division II Women’s College World Series as the Lady Muleriders powered past No. 25 Minnesota Duluth 12-3 in a run-rule victory to claim the Central Region Championship for the second time in three years.

Southern Arkansas (57-9), entered Friday needing one win to punch its ticket to Salem, Virginia, and the “if-necessary” game proved not to be as SAU, in front of a sold-out Mulerider Softball Complex for the second day in a row, saw its offense explode for a combined nine runs in the second and third innings to take a 9-3 lead after three innings of play.

Minnesota Duluth struck first in game two as Jordyn Thomas connected on an outside pitch for an opposite field blast in the home-half of the first inning to give the Bulldogs an early 2-0 lead.

With two outs in the top of the second inning, senior Brooke Goad, who was robbed of a leadoff home run in the first inning of Thursday’s opener which would have been career blast No. 90, ripped into an 0-1 offering and skied the pitch out to centerfield for a no-doubt three-run home run that gave Southern Arkansas a lead that they would not relinquish.

However, the most important play of the inning and arguably of the game, came in the at-bat before Goad’s aforementioned 90th career dinger. True freshman Hallie Saintignan slapped a 1-2 pitch on the ground in the hole along the left side and the rookie speedster took advantage of the groundball placement, which forced the UMD shortstop to field the ball on a backhand, and beat the throw to the bag to plate a run, keep the inning alive, and send Goad to the plate with a run-scoring opportunity.

In the third inning, Southern Arkansas continued their offensive exhibit as they plated five runs on four hits, which included another RBI-infield single by Saintignan, a sacrifice fly from sophomore Faith Otts and a clutch two-run single into left centerfield by senior Marina Duran that pushed the SAU advantage to 9-3.

Junior Brooke Ford-Nelson took over in relief of sophomore starter Victoria Taylor in the bottom of the third inning and the off-speed specialist went to work. Ford-Nelson earned her 13th win of the season as she allowed just two hits and a walk, while keeping the UMD offense off-balance in the final three frames of action.

In the top half of the fifth and needing three runs to pressure a run-rule, SAU received back-to-back two out singles from seniors Jill Roye and Duran to set the stage for Friday’s dagger; a hammered 3-1 pitch by Monica Islava that lifted out to deep centerfield and sent the Dawson Field faithful into euphoria.

After back-to-back one out singles in the final inning on Friday, Ford-Nelson induced a soft line out to freshman Sarah Pitre at second base. On the pay-off pitch in the ensuing at bat, Ford-Nelson fielded a groundball and tossed over to Duran at first to seal the Central Region title.

Of the 14 hits, six players had two or more led by Duran’s 3-for-4 effort at the plate with two RBI and two runs scored. Goad and Islava each accounted for three RBI on their respective round trippers. Eight players scored at least one run, while four Lady Muleriders crossed home twice.

Additionally, Goad walked twice in the win and set the NCAA Division II single-season record for base-on-balls with 82. The senior now has reached base via walk 209 times in her career which is also a Division II career record.

No. 8 Southern Arkansas now turns its attention to Division II Softball’s biggest stage for the second time in three years. SAU’s opening round opponent and game time are still to be determined. Additionally, the eight region winners will be reseeded 1-8 before play begins in the series on Thursday, May 24.

Joining the Lady Muleriders in Salem will be West Chester (Atlantic), St. Anselm (East), Southern Indiana (Midwest), North Georgia (Southeast), Angelo State (South Central), and Chico State (West). Due to weather, the “if necessary” game of the South Super Region between Saint Leo and Alabama-Huntsville will be played on Saturday, May 19.

Stay up-to-date with SAU Softball’s journey to Salem by visiting www.MuleriderAthletics.com and following along on Mulerider Athletics’ social media channels.

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MAGNOLIA – The Lady Muleriders used the long ball in their contest against #15 Augustana that allowed SAU to advance to Championship Saturday in the Central Region Tournament after a 4-1 win over the Vikings on Friday afternoon.

TEAM RECORDS 
(No. 8) Southern Arkansas Lady Muleriders (54-9)
(No. 15) Augustana Vikings (42-14)

PITCHING DECISIONS – GAME 1
W – Brooke Ford-Nelson (12-4)
L – Ashley Mickschl (20-7)
S – None

HIGHLIGHTS & HAPPENINGS

• All of the runs from both teams in the contest came via home runs as the Vikings took the first lead in the top of the third inning, 1-0, with a solo homer to left field from the pitcher, Ashley Mickschl.
• SAU was hitless until the fourth inning, and scoreless until the fifth when Brooke Goad went big-fly to deep right-center field and pulled the Lady Muleriders ahead 3-1.
• Brooke Ford-Nelson came on in relief in the circle for Southern Arkansas in the fifth inning and was very efficient as the junior did not allow any hits or any runs through three innings of work.
• Marina Duran hit a solo shot out to straight-away center field in the bottom of the sixth to cushion SAU’s lead out to its eventual, 4-1.

AT THE PLATE

• Goad led the offense for SAU with 3 RBIs on a homerun
• Duran collected the other RBI for SAU on a home run and also had a single
• Faith Otts and Sarah Pitre each collected one hit apiece

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MAGNOLIA – The No. 5-ranked Southern Arkansas softball team took both ends of the GAC doubleheader against Harding on Saturday with a 5-1 final decision in the series-opener, followed by a come-from-behind effort in game two that saw the Lady Muleriders battle back from an early 3-run deficit and secure the eventual victory, 10-6. That second game saw a historical moment take place for the senior Brooke Goad as the slugger hit her 80th career dinger in the third inning that broke the NCAA DII All-Time Home Run record.

TEAM RECORDS 
(No. 5) Southern Arkansas Lady Muleriders (40-4, 29-3 GAC)
Harding Lady Bisons (27-15, 19-13 GAC)

PITCHING DECISIONS – GAME 1
W – Victoria Taylor (18-0)
L – Emily Garrett (8-3)
S – None

GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS & HAPPENINGS

• Starting pitcher Victoria Taylor was dominant in the circle for Southern Arkansas and settled in quickly as the sophomore struck out the first three hitters she faced in the top of the first inning to open the frame.
• The Lady Mulerider offense backed Taylor in the bottom-half of that frame and took a 2-0 lead over Harding on a pair of back-to-back walks issued to Marina Duran and Jill Roye, respectively, with the bases loaded.
• Harding cut its deficit down to one in the next inning as they loaded the loaded with a trio of base hits and then drew a walk to score, but would strand three base runners to end the inning without any further damage, 2-1 SAU.
• SAU got that lone run back quickly as they loaded the bases again in the bottom of the second and benefited from an RBI sacrifice fly off the bat of Faith Otts, 3-1.
• Taylor continued her impressive performance in the circle through the remainder of the contest and added five additional strikeouts while only allowing one hit and a walk in that time span to pick up her 18th-straight win on the season.

AT THE PLATE

• Duran and Roye each tallied a pair of RBIs apiece to lead SAU in the contest, and Otts collected a lone RBI to follow.
• Rachel Miller, Monica Islava, and Duran each collected a pair of hits and one run a piece.
• Goad reached bases in all four of her at-bats via walks and scored a run

PITCHING DECISIONS – GAME 2
W – Victoria Taylor (19-0)
L – Emma Dwyer (10-7)
S – None

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS & HAPPENINGS

• Harding got on the board first after taking a 1-0 lead in the opening frame and SAU would quickly retaliate with three runs on three hits in the bottom-half to steal the lead, 3-1.
• The Lady Bison then put up five runs on five hits in the next inning to regain that lead over SAU at 6-3, but the Lady Muleriders were not phased as they got four of those runs back in their first offensive opportunity following that frame to take the lead, 7-6, over Harding.
• Miller plated the first run for SAU in that inning to make it 6-4 HU, and Otts picked up the remaining slack as she stroked a 3-RBI homer to left-center field to put the Lady Muleriders on top, 7-6.
• The bottom of the third inning was historical for SAU as senior Brooke Goad connected with her 80th career dinger which broke the All-Time NCAA DII Home Run record, and pushed the Lady Muleriders to its eventual 10-6 final decision.
•  Victoria Taylor came into the game in the fourth inning to finish-off the remaining portion of the contest and continued her dominant performance in the circle from game one as the sophomore dealt an additional seven strikeouts through four innings of work to capture back-to-back wins on the day and move to 19-0 on the year.
• Of Harding’s nine total hits in the contest, Taylor just allowed one.

AT THE PLATE

• Goad and Otts carried the Lady Mulerider offense with 3 RBI apiece in the contest as the duo combined for four runs on four hits.
• Duran added a pair of RBIs on a hit and Miller followed with one RBI and a pair of hits
• Every batter in SAU’s starting lineup collected a hit, minus Islava who drew a pair of walks

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MONTICELLO – Solid defense and pitching, coupled with timely hits, led the No. 5-ranked Lady Mulerider softball team to a GAC doubleheader sweep (GM 1, 2-0 | GM 2, 6-3) over Arkansas-Monticello in rivalry action on Wednesday afternoon.

TEAM RECORDS 
(No. 5) Southern Arkansas Lady Muleriders (34-4, 23-3 GAC)
Arkansas-Monticello Cotton Blossoms (4-31, 4-20 GAC)

PITCHING DECISIONS – GAME 1
W – Victoria Taylor (15-0)
L – Kaylee Freeman (0-6)
S – None

GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS & HAPPENINGS

• Both teams were scoreless through the first two innings before Southern Arkansas cracked the first lead in the top of the third.
• Senior Megan Godoyo put the Lady Muleriders on the board in that inning as she battled through a nine pitch at-bat and left the yard out in left field to lead off the inning.
• Freshman Sarah Pitre was issued a 5-pitch walk following Godoyo’s walk in that frame and eventually scored SAU’s second run in the inning on an infield single off the bat of sophomore Rachel Miller.
• SAU’s starting pitcher Victoria Taylor worked efficiently through her next two innings of work in the circle as she struck out the side in the third, and then got out of a jam in the fourth with a clutch pair of strikeouts and a ground out that saw UAM strand two runners who lead-off the frame with back-to-back hits.
• The Cotton Blossoms stranded three total base runners over the next three innings and eventually suffered the loss in a 2-0 final decision to SAU.

IN THE CIRCLE

•  Victoria Taylor pitched her way to her 15th win in the circle this year for SAU with eight strikeouts through seven innings of work.
• Taylor scattered just five hits without allowing any runs

AT THE PLATE

• Godoyo and Miller led SAU with a pair of RBIs apiece
• Islava was the final of three Lady Muleriders in the lineup to record a hit

PITCHING DECISIONS – GAME 2
W – Brooke Ford-Nelson (10-3)
L – Abigail Leonards (2-14)
S – None

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS & HAPPENINGS

• Senior Brooke Goad got the offense going for SAU in the first inning as she blasted her 21stdinger on the season and gave the Lady Muleriders a 1-0 lead.
• UAM responded in the bottom of that frame after scoring three runs on a pair of hits and an error to take the lead from SAU, 3-1.
• The Lady Muleriders would get those runs back in the third inning courtesy of a 2-run shot out to left-center field by Monica Islava, and then regain the lead in the fifth after Islava drew a bases-loaded walk to plate the go-ahead run followed by a sacrifice fly from Faith Otts that pushed SAU to a 5-3 lead.
• SAU added an insurance run in the seventh to extend their lead out to 6-3 which proved to be more than enough as UAM was unable to catch the lead and lost the contest 6-3.

IN THE CIRCLE

• Brooke-Ford Nelson picked up her 10th win in the circle for the Lady Muleriders as she allowed just three runs on four hits in seven innings of action with two strikeouts.

AT THE PLATE

• Islava led SAU with 3 RBI on two hits with a walk and a run scored
• Goad and Hallie Saintignan each collected a pair of hits, while Goad had an RBI and a pair of runs scored
• Goad’s homer in the game ties her for the All-Time Division II career home run record with 79
• Otts and Duran each collected an RBI

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