ARKADELPHIA – The Ouachita Baptist University softball team dropped its double header games to the No. 24 Southern Arkansas University Saturday afternoon at Sully Anderson Field.
 
Game One: SAU 4, Ouachita 2
 
The first game of the afternoon saw No. 24 Southern Arkansas jump out to a 3-0 lead after the top of the first inning. Ouachita tried to answer in the bottom of the inning, getting Hope Waid to third base after a lead off single, but could not bring her in. The Tigers were able to hold the Muleriders scoreless for the next four innings, but Ouachita was also held scoreless until fifth. With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Jessalyn Ahrens singled up the middle, then Hope Waid hit a double to right center that was able to score Ahrens who was going on contact. This RBI double for Waid made it a 3-1 ballgame.
 
SAU added a run in the sixth inning to increase its lead back out to three runs. Ouachita struck again in the bottom of the sixth on back-to-back doubles from Madyson Shoebottom and Lauren Lester. Lester's double scored Shoebottom to cut the deficit to two runs again. This would be it for the Tigers as both teams put up zeroes in the seventh and SAU took game one by a score of 4-2.
 

• Hope Waid went 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI.
• Madyson Shoebottom and Jessalyn Ahrens each with 1-for-3 with a run scored.
• Lauren Lester went 1-for-three with an RBI.
• Tuesday Melton pitched the full seven innings in the loss, her fifteenth complete game of the season.

 
 
Game Two: SAU 7, Ouachita 3
 
Game two was a slow game that saw a similar start to game one; SAU jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the first two innings before Ouachita got its offense going with a big third inning. Erin Williams led of the bottom of the third with a double. Shoebottom followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Lauren Lester walked to load the bases with no outs. A Callie Jourdan single scored Williams to give the Tigers their first run of the game and keep the bases loaded. Then with one out, Shelby Smith singled through the left side to score Shoebottom to make it 5-2. The Muleriders then swapped pitchers and the new pitcher walked Jessalyn Ahrens to score Lester to make the score 5-3. The Tigers left the bases loaded but were able to cut into SAU's lead.
 
Both teams put up a scoreless fourth inning, but Southern Arkansas plated a run in the fifth to extend their lead to 6-3. The Muleriders added another run in the top of the seventh and held on to win game two by a score of 7-3 and take the series win.
 

• Heather Brown went 2-for-5 in her second game back from an injury that had kept her sidelined since early February.
• Callie Jourdan and Shelby Smith each went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
• Madyson Shoebottom went 1-for-3 with a run scored and a walk.
• Lauren Lester and Jessalyn Ahrens both walked twice, with Ahrens earning an RBI for one of her walks.
• Starter Maggi Huddleston pitched the full game, her third complete game of the season.

 
The Tigers will look to bounce back in the game-three finale tomorrow, Sunday afternoon at Sully Anderson Field.
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