SHREVEPORT, La. - On Tuesday night at Pilot Field, a pair of regional baseball foes combined for 26 runs on 35 hits and stranded a combined 20 baserunners, which resulted in Southern Arkansas being tripped up on the road at NAIA-power LSU-Shreveport, 15-11.
The Muleriders (26-14) recorded 14 hits and of the 11 runs that the club plated in the loss, eight came in the sixth inning or later as they battled back from a 8-3 hole to pull within a pair of runs through five innings of play. LSUS answered the SAU three-run sixth inning with six runs in the home half of the frame to take a 14-6 lead into the seventh inning.
From the seventh inning on, SAU outscored the Pilots 5-1, but the comeback fell short as LSUS earned its 33rd win of the season.
Six Muleriders had multiple hits in the game and were led by senior Cortland McPherson who produced a 3-for-5 effort at the plate with two RBI.
Classmate Jacob Richardson went 2-for-4 with four runs scored and a pair of RBI, while also walking three times.
Senior Sam Mrstik drove in a pair of runs behind two hits (2B, 3B), while redshirt freshman Cole Boyd picked up a pair of hits and scored twice and junior Kane Koenigseder collected two hits, an RBI and a run scored.
Three SAU pitchers, starter Dillon Lawrence and relievers Brian Archibald and Hunter Brantley, combined to strikeout a dozen Pilot hitters and allowed just four walks. The Muleriders return home for a weekend series with Great American Conference foe Arkansas Tech on Friday and Saturday.