Box Score CLEVELAND, Miss. – Michael Manley was nearly perfect in his first start for Delta State University Baseball, as the junior from Raymond, Miss., struck out eight and allowed just one hit in six innings of work to lead the No. 1 ranked Statesmen (4-0) to a 13-0 victory over the No. 16 ranked Sharks of Nova Southeastern University (5-2).  The Statesmen scored 13 runs on 15 hits in the win, while the Sharks collected two hits and committed three errors.  

The Statesmen jumped out an early 2-0 lead on the Sharks thanks to a sac-fly RBI by Sam Kidd and an RBI single by Ben Kingsley in the top of the first off NSU starter Zachary Westcott. 

DSU chased Westcott from the game in the second, plating seven earned runs on four hits to put the Statesmen up 9-0.  The Statesmen got a bases-loaded walk from Kidd to jump-start the inning.  Kingsley followed with an RBI double to right with Michael Vinson and Brent Langston both providing two-RBI singles to extend the lead.  Josh Crowdus closed out the scoring with an RBI ground out.

Kingsley's RBI single to right with two outs scored Vinson from second in the third to make it a 10-0 DSU lead.  Vinson walked with two outs and stole second to get into scoring position off NSU reliever Tyler Redding.

After three scoreless innings the Statesmen finally added two runs in the bottom of the seventh to take a commanding 12-0 lead.  Chovanec led off the frame with a single to center followed by a doube to right-center.  Kidd delivered a rocket shot back up the middle to score the first run.  Kingsley grounded out to short to plate the second off NSU reliever Kasey Kopec.

In the bottom of the eighth, DSU scratched across an insurance run on Matt Barrett's pinch-hit, RBI single to right.  Kasey Hinton's two-out double down the left field line set up the scoring opportunity. 

Travis Northern, who came on in the top of the seventh in relief of Manley, shutdown the Sharks in the top of the ninth to earn the rare three inning save. 

Manley (1-0) was nearly perfect over his six innings of work.  The junior from Raymond, Miss., allowed one hit with a walk and eight strikeouts to earn his first win for the Statesmen. 

Northern, a junior from Exeter, Mo., allowed one hit with a walk and a strikeout to grab the save.

Kingsley went 3-for-5 to lead the Statesmen at the plate, including tying his career-high for RBIs with four.  Vinson finished 1-for-2 with three RBIs, while Kidd closed out the contest with two RBIs and two stolen bases. 

Westcott (1-1) earned the loss for Nova after allowing nine earned runs on seven hits in just 1.1 innings pitched.  Redding tossed 4.2 innings of relief while allowing a run on three hits.  Kopec worked 2.0 innings and surrendered three runs on five hits with two strikeouts. 

Alex Marerro and Blake Boyd collected NSU's two hits. 

The series continues Saturday, Feb. 16 with a doubleheader set for 12 p.m. at Ferriss Field.