MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Freshman right hander Jeremy Adorno dominated Northwestern Oklahoma State in Saturday's nightcap as he tallied 15 strikeouts, while allowing only four hits in a seven-inning shutout and Southern Arkansas rolled by the Rangers in the series opener behind a ten-hit, 13-run performance to take both ends of the Great American Conference doubleheader from Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field. The Muleriders have won seven consecutive games and will go for their eighth straight win and the series sweep of NWOSU on Sunday at high noon.
 
The two-time reigning league pitcher of the week following his first two starts as a Mulerider, Adorno dazzled in the day's second game as he struck out the side in the top of the first and fanned five of the first six batters he faced in addition to retiring seven of the final 11 batters he faced via strikeout. Of his 15 strikeouts, which ties SAU Sports HOFer Hayden Simpson for second-most Ks in a single game, ten were swinging and five were browsing and only twice did a NWOSU base runner reach second base.
 
In just three starts, totaling 20 innings, Adorno has recorded 32 strikeouts, allowed just five hits and one run. Opponents are hitting .079 against him and his ERA is 0.45.
 
SAU took advantage of several location issues from the Ranger pitching staff in the second game as the Muleriders pushed across eight runs with the benefit of only five hits, while walking eight times and reaching base via HBP on three occasions.
 
In the opener, the Muleriders pushed across ten-plus runs for the fourth time this season as the host wasted no time impacting early plating three runs in the first inning, striking for five more in the second, while adding single runs in the third and fourth innings and three in the seventh to invoke the run-rule. SAU starter Jacob Womack scattered five hits and three runs while fanning eight to improve to 2-1 on the season.
 
Freshman infielder Brandon Nicoll, senior DH Tucker Burton and senior outfielder Jacob Martinez (2 2Bs) each recorded two hits in the game one win. Burton, along with sophomore infielder Will Richardson both homered with the latter's first inning three-run blast with two outs left shingle damage on the nearby Wilkins Stadium concession stand. Burton's three-run bomb came in that five-run second inning and followed a two-run double by Nicoll.
 
The three-four-five hitters in the SAU lineup of Nicoll, Burton and Richardson all collected three RBI. Burton scored three times as did junior Riley Orr. Sophomore Chris Sutton walked three times in the opener and added a single walk in the second game of the day to run his team lead in BB to eight on the season.