Alva Review-Courier -

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The No. 15-ranked Southern Arkansas baseball team had its Senior Day spoiled by Arkansas-Monticello as the Boll Weevils upended the Muleriders by a score of 15-4 on Saturday afternoon at Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field.

TEAM RECORDS

Arkansas-Monticello Boll Weevils (27-19, 22-11 GAC)

#15 Southern Arkansas Muleriders (36-12, 28-5 GAC)

PITCHING DECISIONS

W – Braden Chambers (7-3)

L – Hunter Vazquez (3-1)

S – NONE

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Boll Weevils took a 2-0 lead after sacrifice flies in the first and third innings. In the bottom of the third, SAU trimmed that lead in half as the Muleriders manufactured a run. A leadoff walk was issued to Josey Langston and after Michael Page sacrificed him over to second, Langston swiped third base. On that steal, UAM's catcher Brady Weiss sailed the throw into left field, allowing Langston to score.

In the top of the fourth, UAM put together a three-run, two-out rally to go up 5-1

An inning later, UAM plated three more runs, making it 8-1.

In the bottom of the fifth, Langston led off once more with a walk. Three batters after the walk to Langston, the Muleriders had the bases loaded with one out. Mark Fontenot then hit into a fielder's choice to score Langston from third.

After neither team scored in the sixth, the Boll Weevils broke the game open in the top of the seventh as they stuck for seven runs on five hits to push their lead out to 15-2.

Not going away quietly, Langston started another inning at the plate by getting on base, this time he singled up the middle. Page followed with a single up the middle as well. Two batters later, Fontenot hit a two-out double to left field to score Langston and Page, but a lineout of Jacob Richardson in the next at-bat ended the game.

ON THE MOUND

The Muleriders used a total of four pitchers on Saturday with Hunter Vazquez getting the start. Vazquez was tabbed with the loss, but despite suffering the loss in 4.0 innings of work, Vazquez totaled five strikeouts

AT THE PLATE

SAU totaled eight hits in the game. Mark Fontenot and Cortland McPherson each had multiple hits with Fontenot going 3-for-4 and McPherson going 2-for-3

Two of Fontenot's hits went for doubles and the junior first baseman drove in three of SAU's four runs in the game

Senior second baseman Josey Langston scored three runs as he came home on a stolen base of third and a throwing error, a fielder's choice, and on one of Fontenot''s doubles

ON DECK

The Great American Conference Regular Season Champion Muleriders will now prepare for the opening round of the 2017 Great American Conference Tournament next weekend. As the No. 1-seed, SAU will be at home and play host to No. 8-seed Ouachita in a best-of-three series. Game one of the series is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday, May 5 and the second game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start on Saturday, May 6. An "if necessary" game will follow the first game on Saturday.