Box Score ROME, Ga.—The Delta State University baseball team took the field at State Mutual Stadium for Championship Tuesday in the Gulf South Conference Tournament. The Statesmen needed to win two games Tuesday in order to claim the GSC Championship. They did just that, as they took down North Alabama 4-0 and Alabama-Huntsville 14-8 en route to their 12th GSC Championship, and fifth under head coach Mike Kinnison.

The Statesmen got a gem from starting pitcher Josh Branstetter against North Alabama. Branstetter kept the Lions off the scoreboard, and let the Statesmen offense take charge.

The Statesmen offense did just that with a run in the bottom of the first inning. With two outs, Ben Kingsley sent a double down the left field line. Jon Carnahan followed with a base hit to left field, which scored Kingsley and gave the Statesmen the early run.

The Statesmen added two more runs in the bottom of the third. Carnahan blasted his second double of the game down the left field line, which brought home Kingsley and Sam Kidd. The runs put the Statesmen lead to three at 3-0.

With the Lions still off the board, the Statesmen added one more run in the bottom of the fourth. Brent Langston took a Chad Boughner pitch over the wall in left field for a solo home run.

Four runs were enough for Branstetter as he put the Lions away the rest of the game. The performance netted Branstetter his sixth victory over the season. He tossed the full nine shutout innings, allowed just four hits, struck out six, and did not walk a batter.

Boughner suffered the loss for the Lions. Boughner pitched 7 innings, gave up four runs on 10 hits, but only two of the runs were earned. He also struck out and walked one batter.

The Statesmen shutout win was also the first time North Alabama had been shutout in 92 games. The Statesmen's four runs came on 11 hits, and they were charged with one error. The Lions only tallied four hits, and were charged with two errors.

An hour after the victory over UNA, the Statesmen took the field against the Chargers of Alabama-Huntsville to decide who would leave Rome as the 2012 GSC Champions.

The Statesmen offense again got going early with a trio of runs in the top of the first inning. With the bases loaded, Carnahan sent a 2-RBI single into left field. The runs gave the Statesmen the early 2-0 lead. Kingsley later scored in the inning to jump the Statesmen lead to 3-0.

Up 3-0, the Statesmen added another run in the top of the second. Kidd brought home Kakwitch with a base hit to shortstop.

The offense of the Statesmen kept rolling with three more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Carnahan brought Kingsley, and Kidd home with a base hit to left field. A wild pitch later in the inning scored Carnahan from third to give the Statesmen the 7-0 lead.

The Charger offense came through to get back into the game with three runs in the fifth inning. A balk brought Vincent Kortbawi home from third for the first Charger run of the game. Chandler Brock later roped a 2-RBI base hit into right center field.

The Statesmen quickly answered the rally by the Chargers with four unanswered runs over the next two innings. Vinson crushed a two run homer over the wall in right field to put the Statesmen up 9-3 in the sixth inning. The Statesmen added two more runs in the seventh inning as well.

Once again the Chargers rallied to put up runs, and get back into the game with three more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Justin Pearson brought Mike Love home with a base hit, and Eric Deese later brought two more runs home with a double to right center field.

The Statesmen (40-12) again answered the Charger rally with one of their own in the top of the eighth. The Statesmen used four straight base hits to tally two more runs to take a 13-6 lead into the bottom of the eighth.

The Chargers (31-22) would not go away, as they tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. However, as they had done throughout the game, the Statesmen answered a Charger rally with a run, as they put one more run on the board in the top of the ninth.

Brandon Hardin closed out the game for the Statesmen in the ninth, as the Statesmen closed out the game with a 14-8 victory, and their 12th GSC Championship.

The Statesmen tied the GSC record with 24 hits in the game. The 24 hits is a new DSU record for a GSC Tournament game, and a GSC tournament record for hits in a championship game. They scored their 14 runs on those 24 hits, and were charged with five errors. Chargers scored their eight runs on eight hits, and were charged with three errors.

Jordan Moore (7-1) started the game for the Statesmen and picked up the win. Moore pitched 5 innings, gave up three runs on three hits, walked two, and struck out five. Hardin pitched the final 2 innings and closed out the game for the Statesmen.

Johnny Shuttlesworth (5-2) suffered the loss for Huntsville. Shuttlesworth pitch just 1.1 innings, gave up four runs on seven hits, and walked one.

Five Statesmen made the All-GSC Tournament Team. Josh Branstetter, Ben Kingsley, Ricky Winters, Michael Vinson, and Jon Carnahan were named to the all-tournament team. Carnahan was also named the Most Outstanding Player in the GSC Tournament.

Now the Statesmen will wait for NCAA Regional play, which will begin on. The Statesmen will find out their seed, and the location of the NCAA South Regional on Sunday.