ARKADELPHIA – In a battle of first place teams heading into Friday's doubleheader, Southern Arkansas came away with a two-game lead after beating Ouachita twice at Rab Rodgers Field by scores of 9-2 and 6-4.
Although he was saddled with the loss in game one of Friday's doubleheader, Ouachita starting pitcher
Cooper Timmons became the program's all-time leader in strikeouts, breaking the record previously set by Steve Smith, who was in attendance to see his record usurped. Smith struck out 313 batters from 2005-08 and aided the Tigers to a national runner-up finish in his senior season.
Timmons finished with five strikeouts in Friday's game, moving his new record total to 318.
The Tigers (20-14, 12-8 GAC) were limited offensively in game one to two runs on six hits.
Wesley Scott had an RBI groundout in the sixth.
Cade Burris hit a solo homerun in the ninth inning.
Michael Quinones was the only Tiger to have more than one hit, going 2-for-4.
The Muleriders (21-11, 14-6 GAC) scored their nine runs on 18 hits, using crooked number runs in the fourth, sixth, and seventh innings to build a big lead.
Game two was a back-and-forth battle in the first three innings with the Tigers tying the game on a two-run homerun by Burris in the second inning for his second homerun of the day and seventh of the season. Then in the third, Ouachita took a 4-3 lead on an RBI single from
G. Allen and a sacrifice lineout by
Wesley Scott.
SAU regained the lead on a three-run homerun in the fifth to finalize the scoring.
The Tigers look to avoid being swept in game three of series, which is set for noon on Saturday.
