ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The No. 11-ranked Southern Arkansas University Muleriders slipped past the Northwest Missouri State University Bearcat baseball team at the Henderson State Invitational, 4-2.
 
The Muleriders moved to 3-1 on the season, while the Bearcats dropped to 2-3 overall.
 
Junior starting pitcher Max Spitzmiller put up another solid outing as he pitched into the seventh inning and struck out eight batters. Spitzmiller scattered eight hits but was tagged for two homers.
 
Northwest staked Spitzmiller to a 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth. Ryan Koski drew a leadoff walk and then scored on an RBI double to right by Ryan Williams. Tyler Peters singled to right to move Williams to third. After a DeAunte Parker strikeouts, Caden Diel delivered a run-scoring single to right that brought Williams home.
 
SAU's Riley Orr knotted up the contest at 2-2 in the bottom half of the fifth when he launched a two-out, two-run shot to left center.
 
Spitzmiller wriggled free from a small jam in the sixth. SAU's Brett McGee was hit by a pitch to start the sixth. Tucker Burton singled up the middle to put runners on the corners with one out. Spitzmiller picked off Burton trying to steal and then retired SAU's Will Richardson on a fly ball to right to end the threat.
 
Spitmiller nearly made it out of the seventh unscathed after he retired the first two batters. However, SAU's Connor Allen struck back with a two-strike, two-out solo homer to left-center to give the Muleriders a 3-2 lead. Orr followed with a triple and Chris Sutton singled him home to chase Spitzmiller from the game.
 
The Bearcat bats went quiet from the sixth into the ninth as SAU pitchers retired 11 straight batters.
 
Brett Holden ended the string of outs with a one-out single to right in the top of the ninth. Donovan Warren struck out swinging and Koski flew out to right to end it.
 
Northwest will be back in action Saturday in the Henderson State Invitational against St. Cloud State at 2:30 p.m.
 
NOTES: Caden Diel had a two-hit night … Northwest was limited to five hits … SAU managed eight hits in the contest … Tanner Smith tallied a strikeout against the only batter he faced in the bottom of the seventh … Jacob Gajic notched two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 eighth inning.
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