RUSSELLVILLE — Southern Arkansas lost two softball games to Arkansas Tech on Saturday, dropping to 24-14 overall and 13-10 in league play.
The two losses leave SAU two games behind Southwest Oklahoma State for fifth place in the league and just one game ahead of ATU.
The Mueller Riders were uprooted by the Golden Suns' pitching staff, which held SAU to just four runs over the weekend while Arkansas Tech gave up nine runs in the Great American Conference Series.
game 1
Arkansas Tech 1, Southern Arkansas 0 (10)
Click here to see the box score.
Sidney Ward started the first game, his 18th game of the season, and his 8th complete game. The senior allowed just six hits, four walks and one hit against the Suns in 10 innings. The Paris, Arkansas native struck out nine of the 39 batters she faced in the game.
Neither team scored until Arkansas Tech scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the 10th inning with a walk-off hit to a batter in front of center.
The Golden Suns' pitching staff allowed eight runners on base in this game, and only allowed five hits against the Muller Riders, who left all eight runners on base.
game 2
Arkansas Tech University 4, Southern Arkansas 1
Click here to see the box score.
Brinson Rodgers became the starting pitcher for the final game of the series and remained in the circle without interruption for the first three innings, when Morgan McAlexander took his place and returned to the circle from left field. Rodgers was relieved with the score 1–1, but was quickly recalled to end the inning after Tech added two runs to take a 1–3 lead. Rodgers remained in the circle for the next two innings and was really relieved by Corey Byrd at the start of the bottom of the sixth. The Golden Suns were able to score another run in the bottom of the fourth inning, but were unable to increase their scoring for the rest of the game. Rodgers took the loss, allowing five hits, four walks, three runs, and two walks. The Peach State native had six strikeouts in Game 3.
Southern Arkansas allowed only four hits in the game, led by third-year senior Bella Angelo, who had two hits and one RBI in three at-bats.
The Muller Riders are now preparing for the second half of their season series against the Arkansas-Monticello Cotton Blossoms and are looking forward to the road half starting next Tuesday. SAU returns to action this weekend for a three-game league series as Southwestern Oklahoma State comes to Dawson Field for its final home series of the 2024 season.
