HOT SPRINGS, Ar. — Top-seeded Southern Arkansas (40-11) and rival Henderson State collide Monday in the semifinals of the Great American Conference Baseball Tournament at Majestic Park.
The Muleriders qualified with a hard earned win over Ouachita Baptist, 7-5. Henderson’s game was even a bigger challenge with a 3-2 victory over Oklahoma Baptist.
SAU was in command most of the way until OBU scored twice in the sixth. Wyatt Marr (8-1) started, and was the winner for the Muleriders. Isaiah Haynes started for the Tigers, with Beau Burson suffering the loss in relief. OBU’s defense was a bit sloppy with three errors. The Muleriders had no errors.
Ty Manning and Conner Allen led SAU’s offense with a double and single each, both driving in two runs. Texarkana native Chris Lyles also had two singles, giving him five hits in the tournament. Jacob Martinez, Riley Orr, Brett McGee, and Texarkana’s Chris Sutton had one hit each.
Marr scattered five hits in six innings, allowing five runs, five walks and two strikeouts.
Texarkana lefty propels Henderson
Dillon Thomas hit a home run, and former Pleasant Grove standout was the winning pitcher in the Reddies’ win over Harding. Galvan went six innings, allowing eight hits, while walking three and striking out five.
In another tournament game Arkansas Tech won a shootout against Southeastern Oklahoma, 16-12.
The Muleriders’ softball team was on top of Harding University, 7-0, before Harding could generate any offense with four runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Kiana Pogroszewski improved to 15-5 in the circle, and Sydney Ward was credited with a save. Mariah Hamilton and Gracie King hit home runs for SAU.