Alva Review-Courier -

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – A bases loaded walk drawn by Cortland McPherson in the bottom of the 11thinning forced home Blake Hall with the winning run as the No. 11-ranked Southern Arkansas baseball team beat No. 15-ranked Delta State by a score of 3-2 on Tuesday night at Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field.

TEAM RECORDS

#15 Delta State Statesmen (22-8)

#11 Southern Arkansas Muleriders (24-5)

PITCHING DECISIONS

W – Makenzy Larsen (3-0)

L – Zach Osbon (5-1)

S – NONE

HOW IT HAPPENED

Just two pitches into the bottom of the first inning, Blake Hall gave the Muleriders a 1-0 lead as he hit a solo home run out to left-centerfield.

An inning later that lead doubled as Michael Page hit a sacrifice fly into centerfield, scoring James Trevanion, who singled earlier in the inning.

There was not much offense to speak of over the next four innings as it remained a 2-0 game heading into the top of the seventh. During that scoreless stretch there were just three hits combined between the Muleriders and Statesmen.

In the top of the seventh, however, the Statesmen started to get their offense going some as Josh Russell doubled down the left field line to lead off that frame. A batter later, Russell scored the Statesmen's first run on a single through the left side by Nick Morgan. With the Statesmen still threatening in the inning, SAU starter Hunter Vasquez got Justin Nussbaum to line into an inning-ending double play.

After the Muleriders were turned away in order in the bottom of the seventh, the Statesmen tied the score with a run in the bottom of the eighth. Just as they did an inning previous, the Statesmen were threatening for more than the one run scored in the inning, but a double play ended the threat. This inning-ending twin killing went 6-4-3 and helped reliever Makenzy Larsen escape the eighth after he came on in relief of Vasquez earlier in the inning.

In the top of the ninth, the Statesmen got their leadoff batter on once more. The previous two innings, that batter came around to score. In the ninth, however, that trend ended abruptly as the Statesmen were attempting a suicide squeeze with one out and the batter Nussbaum popped it up in foul territory where the Mulerider catcher Cory Gallegos made the catch and then doubled off Emil Ellis to end the inning.

SAU was retired in order in the bottom of the ninth and the game went to extra innings. Prior to Tuesday night's game, the Muleriders had played in just one extra inning game, a 13-inning marathon against Oklahoma Baptist that the Muleriders won 3-2 on the strength of a Jacob Richardson walk-off home run.

Neither team got a base runner in the 10th, but the Statesmen got back-to-back singles with two outs in the 11th before Larsen got out of the inning inducing a fielder's choice.

In the bottom of that inning, Blake Hall drew a leadoff walk and after a strikeout, Hall got to 90-feet of home on a single through the right side off the bat of Mark Fontenot. Fontenot also advanced to second on the throw and Delta State elected to intentionally walk Richardson to load the bases and set up a potential double play anywhere along the infield.

Cortland McPherson was the next batter up and quickly it was a 2-0 count. The Statesmen top reliever, Zach Osbon eventually pulled the count back full at 3-2, but ultimately his last pitch was high out of the zone, forcing home Hall and ending the game.

ON THE MOUND

Hunter Vasquez got the start for the Muleriders and pitched extremely well in the no-decision as he went 7.1 innings. In his time on the mound, Vasquez scattered six hits, walked two and struck out six while allowing two earned runs.

Makenzy Larsen came on in relief of Vasquez and masterfully pitched out of a couple of jams. All told, Larsen pitched 3.2 innings and gave up 3 hits, no runs, and had one strikeout as he also earned the win.

AT THE PLATE

The Muleriders totaled eight hits with five of those coming through the first two innings.

No Mulerider had multiple hits, but eight of the nine in the batting order registered a hit.

Blake Hall scored two of SAU's runs with the first being the solo home run in the first and the second being the bases loaded walk that won the game.

Registering RBIs for the Muleriders were Hall, Cortland McPherson and Michael Page

ON DECK

The Muleriders will now prepare for a weekend series on the road at Ouachita. The first game of the three-game set is scheduled for a 2 p.m. first-pitch on Friday, March 31.