MONTICELLO, Ark. – Solid defense and pitching, coupled with timely hits, led the No. 5-ranked Lady Mulerider softball team to a GAC doubleheader sweep (GM 1, 2-0 | GM 2, 6-3) over Arkansas-Monticello in rivalry action on Wednesday afternoon.

TEAM RECORDS

(#5) Southern Arkansas Lady Muleriders (34-4, 23-3 GAC)

Arkansas-Monticello Cotton Blossoms (4-31, 4-20 GAC)

PITCHING DECISIONS – GAME 1

W – Victoria Taylor (15-0)

L – Kaylee Freeman (0-6)

S – None

GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS & HAPPENINGS

Both teams were scoreless through the first two innings before Southern Arkansas cracked the first lead in the top of the third.

Senior Megan Godoyo put the Lady Muleriders on the board in that inning as she battled through a nine pitch at-bat and left the yard out in left field to lead off the inning.

Freshman Sarah Pitre was issued a 5-pitch walk following Godoyo's walk in that frame and eventually scored SAU's second run in the inning on an infield single off the bat of sophomore Rachel Miller.

SAU's starting pitcher Victoria Taylor worked efficiently through her next two innings of work in the circle as she struck out the side in the third, and then got out of a jam in the fourth with a clutch pair of strikeouts and a ground out that saw UAM strand two runners who lead-off the frame with back-to-back hits.

The Cotton Blossoms stranded three total base runners over the next three innings and eventually suffered the loss in a 2-0 final decision to SAU.

IN THE CIRCLE

Victoria Taylor pitched her way to her 15th win in the circle this year for SAU with eight strikeouts through seven innings of work.

Taylor scattered just five hits without allowing any runs

AT THE PLATE

Godoyo and Miller led SAU with a pair of RBIs apiece

Islava was the final of three Lady Muleriders in the lineup to record a hit

PITCHING DECISIONS – GAME 2

W – Brooke Ford-Nelson (10-3)

L – Abigail Leonards (2-14)

S – None

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS & HAPPENINGS

Senior Brooke Goad got the offense going for SAU in the first inning as she blasted her 21stdinger on the season and gave the Lady Muleriders a 1-0 lead.

UAM responded in the bottom of that frame after scoring three runs on a pair of hits and an error to take the lead from SAU, 3-1.

The Lady Muleriders would get those runs back in the third inning courtesy of a 2-run shot out to left-center field by Monica Islava, and then regain the lead in the fifth after Islava drew a bases-loaded walk to plate the go-ahead run followed by a sacrifice fly from Faith Otts that pushed SAU to a 5-3 lead.

SAU added an insurance run in the seventh to extend their lead out to 6-3 which proved to be more than enough as UAM was unable to catch the lead and lost the contest 6-3.

IN THE CIRCLE

Brooke-Ford Nelson picked up her 10th win in the circle for the Lady Muleriders as she allowed just three runs on four hits in seven innings of action with two strikeouts.

AT THE PLATE

Islava led SAU with 3 RBI on two hits with a walk and a run scored

Goad and Hallie Saintignan each collected a pair of hits, while Goad had an RBI and a pair of runs scored

Goad's homer in the game ties her for the All-Time Division II career home run record with 79

Otts and Duran each collected an RBI