Box Score VALDOSTA, Ga. – The No. 13 Delta State baseball team kicked off the Holiday Inn Classic in Valdosta, Ga. by facing Florida Southern College. The Statesmen used a barrage of home runs, as well as a dominating performance on the mound to rout the Moccasins 16-1 at Billy Grant Field.

The fireworks started in the very first inning. With two outs, Ben Kingsley hit his first home run of the season, a solo shot over the left field wall. The homer gave the Statesmen the early 1-0 lead.

The Mocs (6-6) came right back and answered in the bottom half of the first. Mike Snyder tied the game up with a solo home run of his own with two outs in the inning.

With the game tied up 1-1, the Statesmen began to take control in the third inning. Jonathan Andrews reached base on a lead off walk. Sam Kidd then blasted his first home run of the season over the wall in left field. The two run homer gave the Statesmen a 3-1 lead.

The Statesmen (7-0) added another run to their lead in the fifth inning. Brent Kakwitch reached base with a two-out triple to center field. Kakwitch later scored on a wild pitch, and the run put the Statesmen up 4-1.

Aaron Newcomb started the game on the mound for the Statesmen, and the senior pitcher dominated the middle innings. Newcomb kept the Mocs off the board, and at one point struck out five consecutive batters.

The Statesmen offense started pull away in the seventh inning with three more runs. Tyler Aldridge led the inning off with a base hit, and Jordan Chovanec reached base on a walk. Later in the inning Sam Kidd was walked, which loaded the bases for the Statesmen. Kakwitch then hit a sacrifice fly to right field that brought Aldridge home. Then things turned wild when Kingsley was walked. Ball four was a wild pitch, that brought home Chovanec, then an error on the proceeding throw by catcher Austin Chubb allowed Kidd to score. Kingsley was tagged out at second on the play, but the damage was done as they Statesmen extended their lead to 7-1.

Another run in the eighth inning for the Statesmen upped the lead to 8-1. Morris Grant scored when Chovanec doubled to right field. 

The offense for the Statesmen was far from over, as the squad put up eight more in the top of the ninth inning. With the bases loaded, Brent Langston brought everybody home with a grand slam. The home run over the left field wall was Langston's second homer of the season. Andrews then hit a single into right center field that scored Aldridge. Up 13-1 and with two runners on base, Kidd crushed his second home run of the game to right center field. Kidd's homer put the Statesmen up for good at 16-1.

Newcomb (2-0) picked up the win, and pitched 8 innings for the Statesmen. He gave up just one run, allowed only five hits. Newcomb struck out seven batters while only issuing one walk.  The performance lowered Newcomb's ERA to 1.38. Ricky Winters pitched the ninth inning for the Statesmen, and did not surrender a hit in the 1-2-3 inning.

Jon Jones (1-1) started the game for the Mocs, and suffered the loss. Jones pitched 6 innings, gave up four runs, walked four, and struck out six.

The Statesmen will return to action Saturday for day two of the Holiday Inn Classic, as they have a showdown with No. 1 Tampa. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. est., 11 a.m. local time in Cleveland. You can listen to the action live on gostatesmen.com.