Box Score CLEVELAND, Miss. – Patrick Strack delivered a one-out double off the right field wall for the game-winning RBI Tuesday, as the Delta State University Statesmen (23-11) claimed a 7-6 come-from-behind victory over the William Carey University Crusaders (16-17) at Ferriss Field. It was a thrilling finish to a hard fought contest for the green-and-white.

With Delta State trailing 6-4 in the fifth, the Statesmen called on redshirt freshman Rickey Winters to steady the ship out of the bullpen. Over the course of five scoreless innings of work, the Bartlett, Tenn., native gave the green-and-white the chance they needed to win it in the end.

William Carey scored the first run of the game without the aid of a hit. Daniel Covert led off the inning with a grounder to second, but Justin Badon threw the ball away at first allowing Covert to take second. After a bunt sacrifice by Jared Rogers, Covert came in to score on a wild pitch by Statesmen starter Jeffrey Vance.

The Statesmen clawed back with three runs in the bottom of the first off Carey starter Daniel Hall. After hitting Michael Niemann and Will McGinnis in back-to-back pitches, Kellen Bozeman tied the game at 1-1 with an RBI single to right. DSU used RBI groundouts from Michel Vinson and Jon Carnahan to take the lead 3-2.

After a scoreless second inning, the Crusaders erupted for four runs in the third on a pair of two-RBI singles by Quin Stokes and Michael Lindsey to go up 5-3.

DSU cut it to a one run deficit in the bottom of the third as McGinnis came in to score on Vinson's second RBI groundout to second.

Carey got the run back on the fourth on Jared Rogers' RBI double over Vinson's head to left off Vance, who was pulled for Rickey Winters.

Trailing 6-5 to Carey in the eighth, Anthony Even scratched out a two-out single to center. He followed quickly with a swipe of second. After a walk to Badon, Niemann smashed an RBI single down the right field line to tie it at 6-6.

After Winters retired the Crusaders in the ninth, the Statesmen made one last ditch effort to pull out the win. Bozeman started the bottom of the ninth off with a deep drive to left-center, but Covert hauled it in for the first out of the inning.

After that the wheels fell off for Carey. Reliever Will Mann walked Robulak and Vinson back-to-back to put the potential winning run at second. Statesmen skipper Mike Kinnison pinch ran Jordan Chovanec for Robulak at second.

With the game on the line in his first at-bat since coming in the game in the eighth as the new right-fielder, Patrick Strack laced a double down the right field line to score Chovanec from second to give the Statesmen the 7-6 come-from-behind win.

Winters (1-0) picked up his first career win after throwing 5.0 scoreless innings of relief. The redshirt freshman from Bartlett, Tenn., allowed a mere two hits and struck out three in the win. Jeffrey Vance started the game for DSU, pitching 4.0 innings while allowing six runs on six hits.

Mann (2-1) took the loss in relief for WCU, working 0.2 innings and surrendering the game-winning double to Strack. Taylor Martin pitched 7.2 innings of relief while giving up three runs on eight hits. Daniel Hall started th contest for Carey, but did not factor in the decision.

Niemann and Vinson led DSU with two RBIs each. Bozeman, McGinnis and Niemann all had two hits as well.

In the first meeting between the two teams back on March 23 in Hattiesburg, the Statesmen fell 2-1 at Milton Wheeler Field. WCU allowed only one hit in the come-from-behind win.

The No. 22 Muleriders (20-11) of Southern Arkansas University will invade Ferriss Field Wednesday for a nonconference showdown with the Statesmen. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. Matt Jones and Jimmy Smith will have the call starting at 6:15 p.m. on the Statesmen Sports Network.