MAGNOLIA – Despite gusty winds and steady rainfall throughout the afternoon of Saturday’s season-opening doubleheader for No. 1 Southern Arkansas, the Muleriders erupted offensively as Jason Anderson‘s squad plated a combined 29 runs across a dozen innings of play to earn a pair of victories and improve their winning streak to 18 games.

The Muleriders recorded 25 hits on the afternoon from nine different players. Eight of those hits went for extra bases, while four were planted on the Bodcaw Bank Berm. Senior catcher Laina Suesueblasted a grand slam in the first game and sophomore shortstop Sarah Evans hit a game-tying grand slam off the leftfield foul pole in game two. Junior outfielder Alese Casper and sophomore outfielder Kayla Collins both left the yard on Saturday as well.

In the opener, Southern Arkansas pushed across ten runs in the bottom half of the first inning, added four more runs in the second inning and capped the 17-run season-opening performance with three more runs in the fourth inning. That offensive effort backed four innings of work in the circle from senior right-hander Victoria Taylor. The Greenwood, Arkansas, native allowed only one hit and two walks, while fanning eight. Sophomore left-hander Landry Newgent worked the final inning in her first appearance as a Mulerider.

The second game saw Delta State jump out to a 4-0 lead, but that was quickly erased with Evans’ aforementioned four-run round tripper in the home half of the first inning. After DSU took a 5-4 lead in the fourth inning, Collins homered to tie it at 5. Southern Arkansas turned it on the fifth inning as they pushed across six runs and added a final one in the sixth inning to claim the 12-5 win in the nightcap.

Taylor received the win in relief as she worked three perfect innings and added five strikeouts to finish with a baker’s dozen worth of punch outs on Saturday.

The victory in the season opener gives SAU 11-consecutive wins in such games. The program’s last loss in a season opener came on February 13, 2010; a 6-3 loss at Delta State. The Muleriders have won their last 14 games at Dawson Field.

Southern Arkansas returns to action February 12-14 in Magnolia for six games across three days inside the Dr. Margaret Downing Softball Complex as part of the Ronnie Hawkins/Mike McGhee Memorial Tournament. The Muleriders host Mississippi College on Friday, February 12 at 1:30 p.m. and close out the day with a 4 p.m. first-pitch against No. 5 Angelo State.

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CLEVELAND, Miss. – The Harding softball team dropped a non-conference doubleheader at Delta State Tuesday. The Lady Bisons fell 3-0 in the first game and fell in a walkoff 9-8 in the second game.

In game two, Peyton Mills hit her 28th career home run to tie the school record and Kyndal Pirtle tied a school record for most hits in a game when she went 5-for-5.

Harding falls to 13-11 overall.

Delta State improves to 16-9 overall.

Game One Key Innings (Delta State 3, Harding 0)

–         Delta State scored two on two hits and a Harding error in the bottom of the first inning. Jordan Jones doubled in a run and Kelly Byrd scored on an error.

–         The Lady Statesmen added another run in the third when Kelly Byrd hit a solo home run.

Game One Key Statistics

–         Each team had four hits.

–         Delta State was led by Kelly Byrd who went 2-for-2.

–         Nicole Fullilove got the win for Delta State to improve to 8-6. She threw the complete game shutout and had five strikeouts.

–         Emma Dwyer received the loss and falls to 2-4. She went six innings, gave up two earned runs and had three strikeouts.

Game Two Key Innings (Delta State 9, Harding 8)

–         Delta State got things started in the second when Kailyn Lofton hit a two-run home run to center field.

–         Harding got on the board in the third when Peyton Mills singled in a run. The Lady Bisons added another run when Amanda Fields reached on a fielder’s choice in which Kyndal Pirtle scored.

–         The Lady Statesmen had a three-run home run by Jordan Jones in the third inning to make it a 5-2 game.

–         Kyndal Pirtle hit her third single of the game in the fourth inning which drove in Lauren Bazan. Lindsey Duncan also scored in the inning on a wild pitch.

–         Harding added two runs on back-to-back solo home runs by Peyton Mills and Amanda Fields.  Peyton Mills led off the inning with a solo home run. It was the 28th in her career which ties her with Amanda Berdon and Kimmy Hendricks. It was Mills second home run of the season and it was Fields fourth.

–         Mary Mills Lochala drew a walk with the bases loaded in the sixth to make it 7-5.

–         Kelly Byrd doubled in a run for Delta State in the sixth to pull the Lady Statesmen to within one, 7-6.

–         Harding added another run in the seventh when Hanna Jones reached on an error and Kiley Persons scored on the play. Kyndal Pirtle had her fifth hit in the game when she singled to left field.

–         With the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh, Kelly Byrd tied the game when she singled to right field. The next batter Jordan Jones drove in the winning run from third when she singled to left center.

Game Two Key Statistics

–         Harding had 12 hits in the game and left 10 runners on base.

–         Delta State had eight hits, three by Kelly Byrd.

–         It was only the second time a Harding player has had five hits in a game. Courtney Derrick had six hits against Henderson State in 2016.

–         Emily Baker got her first win of the season for Delta State. She pitched 1/3 of an inning and had one strikeout.

–         Pyper James received the loss and falls to 3-3 on the season.

Next Up

–          Harding will be back in action this weekend when it hosts Oklahoma Baptist in Great American Conference action. The four-game series is scheduled to begin Friday at 2 p.m.

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SEARCY – Delta State, ranked 23rd in Division II, did just enough Sunday to defeat Harding by one run in both games of a non-conference doubleheader at Jerry Moore Field.

Delta State won the opener 5-4 and took game two 1-0 to sweep the three-game series.

Delta State scored four of its five runs in game one on home runs.

Clay Casey hit a two-run home run to centerfield as part of the Statesmen’s three-run second inning. Harding came back to tie it with two in the second on Connor Kelly’s two-run single, and another run in the third on Grant Guest’s RBI single.

The long ball bit the Bisons again in the fifth. Justin Nussbaum hit a solo home run to left with one out, and one pitch later Jason Popovich homered to right.

Harding pulled within 5-4 in the seventh on Tyler Mohr’s RBI single. The Bisons had the tying run on in both the eighth and ninth innings but could not score the tying run.

Jackson Ward (0-1) started on the mound for Harding. He allowed seven hits and five earned runs in five innings and took the loss. Nash Thomas pitched 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Reliever John Wesley Ray (1-0) earned the win in relief for Delta State. He allowed one unearned run in 2 1/3 innings. Peyton White pitched the final 2 2/3 innings to earn the save.

Guest was 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI to lead Harding’s offense. Kelly had two hits and two RBIs.

Delta State had only one hit in 15 at-bats with runners on base in game two, but it was the only one needed.

Delta State’s Nick Morgan led off the fifth with a walk and was at third base with two outs when Emil Ellis doubled down the right field line to score the game’s only run.

Tre Hobbs (1-0), a preseason All-American, pitched a complete game and allowed only two hits and no walks and struck out three.

Freshman Austin Allen (0-1) pitched well for Harding, allowing only one earned run on five hits in 4 2/3 innings. Sam Alender pitched the final 2 1/3 innings and gave up only one hit.

Ben Brauss and Zach Beasley had Harding’s two hits.

Harding’s next action is next Friday and Saturday when the Bisons will play a three-game series at St. Edward’s in Austin, Texas.

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MONTICELLO — The University of Arkansas at Monticello men’s basketball team upset #23 ranked Delta State University in a non-conference match-up Sunday afternoon by a final score of 77-67 at home.

UAM (4-0, 2-0 GAC) began on a hot start against the Statesmen of DSU (3-1, 0-0 GSC) as the Weevils created a 17-1 run over the first six minutes of the opening half. Arkansas-Monticello maintained a double-digit lead throughout the remaining ten minutes of the first half to lead the #23 ranked Statesmen, 41-26.

The Weevils saw its biggest lead of the day at 21 points midway through the second half after back-to-back three-pointers by Karim Mawunyega and Hunter Daley fueled the home squad ahead. Delta State put together small runs in the last seven minutes of the contest to trail only by eight points with 00:32 seconds left, but Arkansas-Monticello closed the game out on free-throws to upset the visiting Statesmen, 77-67.

Offensively the Weevils were led by junior Karim Mawunyega who totaled 23 points overall on 7-for-14 shooting from the field. Mawunyega contributed a team-high four assists, two steals and one rebound to his stat-line as well.

Junior Cobe Goosby added 15 points, five boards and four assists in the winning effort, and freshman Hunter Daley finished the game with 11 points and went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. Junior Derylton Hill provided a defensive force on the glass as Hill recorded a season-high 11 rebounds in the match-up also.

Arkansas-Monticello ended the game shooting 44 percent from the field (24-for-55), 40 percent from beyond the arc (8-for-20) and 84 percent on free throws (21-for-25). DSU ended the match-up at 39 percent from the field (24-for-62), 24 percent on threes (4-for-17) and 68 percent on foul shots (15-for-22).

UAM will return to the court next on Thursday, December 1 as the Weevils head to Weatherford, Oklahoma to take on Great American Conference opponent Southwestern Oklahoma State, with tip-off slated for 7:30 p.m.

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