Box Score CLEVELAND, Miss. – The No. 1 Delta State University Statesmen baseball team pounded 21 hits to defeat the Mississippi Valley State University Delta Devils 13-5, Tuesday at Ferriss Field.
 
The Delta Devils (1-4) jumped ahead 2-0 in the top of the first inning, using a walk and three singles against Statesmen starting pitcher Casey Greene. With runners on first and second with one out, Joseph Germaine lined into a double play to end the inning.
 
DSU (7-0) answered with two runs of its own in the bottom half of the inning, as Michael Vinson had an RBI base hit and Carlos Leal was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Ben Kingsley.
 
After recording six straight defensive outs, and holding a 3-2 lead, the Statesmen took control of the game with five runs in the bottom of the third, taking advantage of six hits in the inning, including a triple by Jami Rachal.
 
MVSU scored a lone run in the top of the fourth inning, sending seven hitters to the plate, while leaving the bases loaded.
 
The Statesmen tacked on four runs in the bottom of the fifth, as Ben Kingsley, and Michael Vinson had back-to-back doubles, before Brent Langston hit his first home run of the season, to give DSU the 12-3 lead.
 
Valley scored two quick runs in the top of the seventh, loading the bases with no outs against relief pitcher Trevor Blocker, who allowed two singles and two walks before being relieved by Garrett Pickens. Demetrius Bonner struck out for the first out of the inning, which was followed by a Trey Lacy ground ball that scored a run.
 
DSU finished the scoring in the seventh inning when Vinson scored following a failed pickoff attempt on a double steal.
 
Kingsley led the way at the plate for the Statesmen, as he finished 4-for-4. Sam Kidd and Leal each had three hits for DSU, going 3-for-4.
 
The Statesmen used eight pitchers, none pitching more than two innings. Greene (1-0) allowed two runs on three hits, while Lacy (0-1) allowed eight runs, four earned on 10 hits in the loss.
 
DSU returns to action on Friday, Feb. 21 at 3 p.m. as perennial national power Florida Southern College comes to Ferriss Field.