Seventh-ranked Southern Arkansas saw its seven-game winning streak and unbeaten GAC record come to an end on Sunday afternoon in the series opener with Henderson State with a 7-3 loss.
However, the Muleriders responded in game two behind an efficient outing from senior right-hander Mikel Howell and a three-run blast off the bat of junior Jaden Woolbright with a 5-1 win earned a split at Goodheart Field. The two squads met again for the third contest Monday afternoon.
Howell (4-0) went the distance for the second-consecutive start scattering seven hits and a walk, while issuing 11 groundouts and seven fly outs with just a single unearned run. He stranded single base runners in the first and third innings, left three on in the fifth, two more on in the seventh, while pitching 1-2-3 frames in the second and fourth. HSU's Jordan Allen recorded a two-out double in the sixth, stole third and raced home on a throwing error for the Reddies' lone run in game two.
Woolbright's bomb, his third of the season, was the only hit for the Muleriders in that three-run fourth inning. Mikey McGinnis was hit-by-pitch for the second time in the game to start the frame and moved to second on a passed ball and Trace Shoup walked to set the stage for Woolbright who exited out to left centerfield with one out in the inning. Scoring in game two opened on an RBI single off the bat of Will Richardson. McGinnis doubled home a run in the fifth.
A throwing error allowed the Muleriders to score the day's first run in the home half of the first inning in the Sunday's opener. A two-run second by the Reddies gave the visitor's a lead they would not relinquish.
Southern Arkansas nearly rallied all the way back to tie the game at 4-4 in the sixth as Carter Claerhout tripled with two outs to plate Shoup and then the former scored on a wild pitch to pull SAU to 4-3. SAU would manage just two base runners over the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, while the Reddies tacked on a single run in the seventh and two more in the ninth.
Woolbright recorded two of SAU's five hits in game one. The Muleriders stranded eight base runners in the opener.
Jeremy Adorno worked 5.1 innings allowing five hits and six walks, while striking out six. Hayden Oglesby tossed the final 3.2 innings and a sacrifice fly through the first 2.2 innings before HSU struck for two insurance runs on two hits and a pair of SAU fielding errors.
