Muleriders Power Past Arkansas Tech 13-2 in Non-Conference Action

Courtesy Southern Arkansas University Athletics Department

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Thanks to an offensive outburst that led to a 13-2 win over Arkansas Tech in non-conference action on Tuesday afternoon, the Southern Arkansas baseball team has reached the 30-win mark for the 13th consecutive year.

The No. 13-ranked Muleriders (30-12) were forced to collect their 30th win on the year in come-from-behind fashion, however, as the Wonder Boys (27-17) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a two-run homerun by Cole Fergus.

In the bottom of the frame, the Muleriders would score a pair of runs of their own to knot the game at two-all. David Harris got the Muleriders on the board first when he hit a RBI single through the left side of the infield to score Jason Dahl. In the next at-bat, Brady Capshaw collected the first of his five RBIs as he singled to left-centerfield to score Chris Quinn.

Two innings later, Capshaw pushed the Muleriders ahead with a RBI double to left field. Three batters later, Jackson McCurdy deposited his third homerun of the season out to left-centerfield for a three-run shot, giving the Muleriders a 6-2 lead.

Now working with a four-run lead, SAU starting pitcher Philip Menou went into shutdown mode as he allowed just two hits over the next three innings. The Muleriders would have their offense temporarily shut down over the middle innings as well, but they would come back in a big way in the seventh and eighth innings.

In the seventh inning, the Muleriders added four runs to their lead as they scored four runs in the frame to take a 10-2 lead. The big blow in that inning was a bases-clearing triple off the bat of Ryan Bell. Prior to that Bell three-RBI triple, Harris scored the first run of the inning on a wild pitch.

The added run support would now be in favor of Jon Mark Abbey, who came on in relief of Menou to start the seventh inning. Abbey was sensational in his relief appearance as he struck out the side in the seventh and kept the Wonder Boys hitless in the top of the eighth.

Leading by eight, the Muleriders’ offense was relentless in the bottom of the eighth as Quinn and Harris each singled to start the inning. Two pitches after Harris singled; Capshaw ended the game with a three-run bomb out to left field, giving the Muleriders the 13-2 run-rule victory over Arkansas Tech.

The Muleriders will return to action tomorrow as they will travel to Monticello, Ark. to take on Arkansas-Monticello in a non-conference tilt. First-pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.