SAU Sports Information
A pair of pitching duels in Monday's doubleheader caused a clawing fight to victory for SAU as the Lady Muleriders (21-3) secured the sweep of Texas A&M-Kingsville (14-11).
No. 7 SAU took the first game 3-1 and won the second contest 1-0 in the eighth inning.
Brooke Goad put the Lady Muleriders on the board in the first inning as she launched her 14th dinger of the season out to right-center field to put SAU ahead 1-0.
The Javelinas quickly answered in the second frame and tied the game at 1-1 after Haley Boyett plated the tying run with an RBI base-knock to center field with two outs.
The game remained scoreless through the next three innings of action as both the starting pitchers combined for six strikeouts to keep the score knotted at one.
A lead-off double down the right field line off the bat of Goad followed by a single to left field from Monica Islava prompted a change of momentum in the game as the Lady Muleriders threatened the Javelina defense with runners at first and third base in the bottom of the sixth inning.
The Javelinas retired the next two outs in the frame to keep SAU stranded at first and third base before sophomore Faith Otts eventually stepped to the plate with a clutch two-out hit into the right-center field gap that plated both Goad and Islava and gave SAU the lead, 3-1, in the sixth inning.
Starting pitcher Victoria Taylor finished off the remaining three hitters in the Javelina lineup with a pair of strikeouts and a fly out in the top of the seventh to nail down the victory for SAU, 3-1.
Victoria Taylor (8-0) pitched a complete game for SAU allowing just one run on five hits through seven innings of work to clinch her eighth win in the circle this season.
Although Breanna Smith received the loss in the circle for TAMUK, she recorded nine strikeouts through six innings pitched.
Otts led SAU with a pair of RBIs followed by Goad's lone RBI via homerun.
Goad was the only Lady Mulerider to record extra hits in the contest as she finished 2-for-3 at the dish with a pair of runs score.
Another pitcher's duel in game two, this time, kept the contest scoreless through seven innings and forced an extra inning of action.
Both starting pitchers in game two were effective as they each kept their opposing offenses off-balance in the game combining for nine strikeouts.
Brooke Ford-Nelson recorded a career-high six strikeouts in her eight-innings pitched for SAU and allowed just four hits without giving up any runs.
A pair of singles by the Javelinas to lead off the top of the seventh inning posted a threat late in the game, but solid defense in the field allowed SAU to get out of the inning without any damage done and forced the game into extras.
The Lady Muleriders got it done in the bottom of the eighth inning as Rachel Miller and Goad both drew walks to lead-off the frame and put the winning run into scoring position.
Islava delivered with a single through the left side of the field to juice the bases for senior Jill Roye who would then put the game away in her at-bat after she stroked a liner into right field to plate the winning run and give the Lady Muleriders the walk-off victory in the bottom of the eighth, 1-0.
Ford-Nelson (6-2) collected her sixth win of the season in the circle after a dominant performance that saw her mark a new career-high record of six strikeouts through eight innings of work. She allowed just four hits and did not give up any runs or walks.
Goad was 3-for-3 at the plate with a double and a walk. Roye was responsible for SAU's lone RBI in the contest and finished the contest 2-for-4 at the dish.
SAU will host Southwestern Oklahoma on Friday and Saturday.