Alva Review-Courier -

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Southern Arkansas baseball team set a season-high for runs scored and tied a season-best in hits as the Muleriders scored 20 runs on 13 hits en route to a 20-6 blowout victory over Henderson State on Tuesday night in a non-conference game at Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field.

TEAM RECORDS

Henderson State Reddies (6-4)

Southern Arkansas Muleriders (7-4)

PITCHING DECISIONS

W – Zac Harrington (1-0)

L – Dalton O'Donnell (0-1)

S – NONE

HOW IT HAPPENED

Henderson State threatened to score the game's first runs as they loaded the based with one out, but SAU starter Conner Wells worked out of the jam without surrendering a run. The Mulerider offense backed that effort by Wells with a six-run bottom of the first inning to spark the rout.

That inning, SAU's first four batters all singled. The Muleriders would total six hits in the frame with the big blow being a two-RBI double by Zach Muldoon. The RBIs were the first in his Mulerider career.

The Reddies got on the board in the second inning with an unearned run, but would not score any more until the final half inning in the seventh.

In the bottom of the frame, SAU homered twice to take a 9-1 lead with Jake Tisevich leading off with a homer and James Trevanion following suit three batters later for a two-run shot.

The Muleriders would go on to score each inning the rest of the game with two runs in the third, a single run in the fourth, another six-spot in the fifth, and two runs in the sixth to reach their 20-run output.

Henderson would push across five runs in the top of the seventh to bring the game to its eventual final of 20-6.¬¬

ON THE MOUND

Conner Wells got the start for the Muleriders and pitched the first three innings before giving way to reliever Zac Harrington. In his time on the mound, Wells allowed just one hit and one unearned run. The junior left-hander found himself in some tight spots, but was able to work out of jams with minimal damage thanks to seven strikeouts to his ledger.

Harrington relieved Wells to start the fourth and the sophomore right-hander pitched well over the next three innings as he allowed just one hit and no runs during his outing. That lone hit came on the first batter Harrington faced, but he was able to toss zeros in the run column thanks to a career—high five strikeouts.

Tyler Allen and Jake Alexander combined to get the final three outs of the game with Allen going 2/3 of an inning and Alexander finishing off the game with a strikeout.

AT THE PLATE

Seven players in the Mulerider order had at least one hit with Jake Tisevich, Jacob Richardson, Mark Fontenot and Dakota Wright all registering multiple hits.

For the second-straight game, Tisevich was 3-for-3 at the plate. Tonight against Henderson, Tisevich also scored three runs and connected for his first home run of the season.

Cortland McPherson and James Trevanion also hit home runs in the game. For Trevanion it was his second of the season and for McPherson it was his first. Both McPherson and Trevanion also had three RBIs to pace the team.

As a team, the Muleriders drew 16 walks. It was the most walks issued to the Muleriders since 2008 when Arkansas-Monticello walked 19 Muleriders.

The 20 runs are the most runs scored in a game since 2016 when SAU beat East Central 20-4 in Ada.

ON DECK

The Muleriders will now prepare to hit the road this weekend and jump back into Great American Conference play as they will travel to Ada, Oklahoma to take on East Central. The three-game series is scheduled to begin on Friday, February 23 at 2 p.m. The doubleheader is scheduled for Noon on Saturday, February 24.