In their previous four trips to David Allen Memorial Ballpark for the Great American Conference Tournament in Enid, Oklahoma, Southern Arkansas proved to be tough to beat, much less eliminate, and Tuesday’s championship matchup with third-seed Oklahoma Baptist was no different as the Muleriders completed their journey out of the loser’s bracket to claim the 2018 GAC Tournament Title; the program’s fifth in seven years and first since 2015.
With one out in that highly productive sixth inning and with SAU leading 6-3, a walk to junior Dakota Wright loaded the bases for redshirt freshman Cole Boyd. During Boyd’s at bat, and like clockwork, the 5 p.m. Winchester & Western Railroad rolled a shipment through along the tracks that make up the picturesque backdrop at David Allen Memorial Ballpark, and just as he proved throughout the tournament, Boyd was right on time as well as he belted a three-run shot, arguably the game’s dagger, out to left field that pushed the Muleriders out front by six runs in a 9-3 advantage.
From that point on, the momentum officially belonged to Southern Arkansas as the Muleriders added seven more runs in the bottom half of the frame, which lasted just under 45 minutes. The first half of that inning alone was more than enough run support for redshirt freshman reliever Hunter Brantley who entered in relief of starter Hunter Vasquez to start the fifth inning.
Vasquez tossed the first four innings for the Muleriders in a tremendous effort on two days rest. The senior fanned three batters and his second strikeout, of the Bison’s Garrett McKee in the top of the third inning, placed the right-hander on a prestigious list as he became just the fourth pitcher in program history to record 100 strikeouts in a single season. Vasquez joins the likes of Hayden Simpson, who accomplished the feat in both 2009 (132) and 2010 (131), as well as Cody Jones (2006 | 115) and Gary Wilson (1974 | 105).
Brantley’s relief effort was next to stellar as he tossed five scoreless innings, and only allowed three hits, while picking up four strikeouts to earn his second career win. The defense behind him was just as good as the Muleriders turned a pair of 6-4-3 double plays, including one in the ninth inning that set the stage for the pile up, before Brantley punched out OBU’s Matt Poulin in four pitches to secure the title.
Leading up to the aforementioned game-changing sixth inning, the Muleriders trailed 3-1 entering the bottom of the fifth inning, but proceeded to plate a pair of runs to tie the title game at 3. Tisevich doubled to lead off the frame and as he proved to do all day, junior Dakota Wrightdelivered with two outs as he singled home Tisevich to pull SAU to within a run of the Bison lead. In his second pinch-hit opportunity in as many days, senior James Trevanion came up in a big way as he singled into right field to chase home Wright and tie the game at 3.
In the championship game, all nine starters recorded a hit, while eight players recorded multiple hits with Baker, Boyd and Richardson all recording three hit games. Five players scored multiple runs and five registered multiple RBI with Boyd leading the way with four.
In Tuesday’s opener, the Muleriders handed the ball to junior Dillon Lawrence and the right-hander quieted the potent Bison lineup in his 6.2 innings of work as he scattered five hits, allowed one earned run, while fanning six to pick up his fifth win of the season and a critical victory for Southern Arkansas to force the “if necessary” game.
Southern Arkansas tagged OBU starter Albertus Barber for three runs in the bottom of the first inning as Wright tripled into the right centerfield gap with two outs to score Baker and McPherson. Baker led off the frame with a double down the right field line and McPherson reached with two outs after being hit-by-pitch. Wright crossed home in the ensuing at bat as he scored on an RBI single through the left side from Boyd as the Muleriders staked Lawrence to a 3-0 lead early.
Lawrence cruised through the second inning, worked around a pair of baserunners in both the third and fourth innings and pitched a quick fifth inning before the SAU offense added more run support in the bottom of the frame.
Freshman Riley Orr singled to set the table for the Muleriders in the home half of the fifth inning and with two away, senior Jacob Richardson laced a 3-1 pitch down the left field line, which resulted in a ground-rule double to put runners on second and third. McPherson reached after being plunked a second time and with two outs, Wright again produced, this time with a single through the left side that plated Orr and Richardson to give the Muleriders a 5-0 lead through five.
A two-out double by OBU’s P.J. Harris in the sixth inning pushed across the Bison’s first run of the afternoon and an SAU fielding error in the seventh helped plate the second OBU run and in the process ended Lawrence’s day on the hill. The Muleriders turned to junior reliever Eric White for the second time in as many days and the hard-throwing right-hander proved to be perfect.
White struck out the Bison’s Jake Gozzo looking on three pitches to end the bases loaded threat in the seventh and he proceeded to not allow a Bison to reach base in the eighth and ninth innings, while only needing 19 pitches to pick up his seventh save of the season.
SAU scored all five runs with two outs in the opener and Lawrence and White combined to strand nine baserunners and record a dozen groundball outs in the win. Wright collected three of SAU’s seven hits in the game one win and accounted for four of the team’s five RBI.
Oklahoma Baptist entered Championship Tuesday having won 23 consecutive postseason games. Tuesday’s victories for Southern Arkansas marked the first time in league tournament history that a team “double-dipped” its opponent to claim the title and it was the fourth time the Muleriders won the title from the loser’s bracket. Additionally, it was the second time that SAU lost its tourney opener and battled back to win the title with the first instance coming in 2014.
All-Tournament Team (SAU Representatives)
2B – Austin Baker (MVP)
1B – Cortland McPherson
LF – Cole Boyd
SP – Dillon Lawrence
GAC Tournament Game-By-Game
G1 | Arkansas Tech; L, 9-3 (BOX | RECAP)
G2 | Arkansas-Monticello; W, 15-6 (BOX | RECAP)
G3 | Henderson State; W, 9-7 (BOX | RECAP)
G4 | Oklahoma Baptist, W, 5-2 (BOX)
G5 | Oklahoma Baptist, W, 16-3 (BOX)
The Muleriders will now await the NCAA Division II Baseball Selection Show to see who their next opponent will be as well as where they will be playing. The selection show is scheduled to stream on NCAA.com on Sunday, May 13 at 9 p.m. CST. A more direct link will be pushed out on SAU’s social media accounts once it is made available.
The Muleriders jumped four spots to No. 2 in the latest Central Region Rankings released on May 2. The final regular season weekly region rankings will be released tomorrow, while the final rankings, those revealed during the selection show, will reflect the GAC, MIAA, and NSIC Conference Tournaments.
