MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The East Central University baseball team traveled to Magnolia over the weekend for their final Great American Conference road series of the season, facing off against the top-ranked Southern Arkansas Muleriders. Despite seeing their eight-game winning streak come to an end in a hard-fought 6-3 loss in game one, the Tigers proved they could hang with the best, bouncing back with an impressive 12-6 victory in game two before narrowly dropping the finale, 2-1, in a classic pitcher's duel.
 
With the series, ECU moves to 13-28 overall and 8-19 in GAC play. The Tigers will now head to Shawnee for a nonconference showdown with Oklahoma Baptist University on Tuesday, April 15.
 
Game 1 | SAU 6, ECU 3
The opener began as a pitching duel, with neither team breaking through until Southern Arkansas plated a run in the fourth and added another in the sixth for a 2-0 lead.
 
ECU responded in the seventh inning as Bennie Qualls and Pryce Jackson each delivered RBI singles to tie the game 2-2. The Tigers then took the lead in the eighth behind an RBI knock from Blake Seefeldt, going up 3-2.
 
But the Muleriders flipped the script in the bottom of the frame, launching a two-out rally that produced four runs on four hits to secure the 6-3 win.
 
Luke Livian delivered a solid outing, going 5.1 innings while allowing just two runs on five hits. Joel Hogan pitched 2.1 innings in relief, allowing three runs and taking the loss.
 
At the plate, Tyler Akers led the Tigers with a 2-for-4 performance, while Qualls, Jackson, and Seefeldt each drove in a run.
 
Game 2 | ECU 12, SAU 6
ECU stormed back in game two with an offensive explosion that proved too much for SAU to overcome.
 
The Tigers launched three home runs, including a two-run shot from Blake Seefeldt, a solo homer from Max Tremblay, and a career-first grand slam by Zac Carroll that helped ECU build a commanding 12-2 lead by the sixth inning.
 
The Muleriders chipped away at the lead, adding four runs in the final four innings, but ECU's hot start held strong for a 12-6 victory to even the series.
 
Starter Cal Birchfield earned his second win of the season, throwing 7.0 innings and allowing five runs on nine hits with four strikeouts. Jeremy Slate closed things out, giving up just one run over the final two innings.
 
Carroll led the offense with five RBIs, while Ethan Rone went 3-for-4. Tremblay and Weldon Sherrell each added two hits to support the win.
 
Game 3 | SAU 2, ECU 1
The series finale was a tense, low-scoring affair defined by stellar pitching on both sides.
 
ECU struck first in the opening inning, capitalizing on a rundown play that allowed Tyler Akers to race home for a 1-0 lead. However, Southern Arkansas answered quickly in the second with an RBI groundout and a sacrifice bunt to take a 2-1 edge—what would ultimately prove to be the final score.
 
The Tigers had a prime opportunity in the sixth when Akers led off with a double, but three straight outs stranded him at second.
 
Despite the loss, starter Nate Windle turned in a gritty performance, surrendering just three hits and two runs over six innings.
 
Offensively, ECU was led by Akers, Sherrell, Carroll, and Seefeldt, who each collected a hit.