Box Score CLEVELAND – The Delta State University Statesmen baseball team avenged an early season loss Wednesday night, defeating Harding University 2-1 at Ferriss Field.
 
The Statesmen (22-4) scored a run in the first and a run in the seventh, while Delta State pitching limited the Bison (14-8) to one unearned run on two hits.
 
After a single and an error put runners on first and second for Harding in the top of the first, starter Colton Mitchell picked up a strikeout and forced a fly out and ground out to end the early threat by Harding.
 
Delta State responded as Tyler Aldridge extended his hitting streak to 26 games with an RBI double to score Same Kidd from second in the bottom of the first, giving the Statesmen an early 1-0 lead.
 
Mitchell started off the second with a strikeout. After a walk to Erin McCarver, Mitchell picked McCarver off first and then forced a fly out to end the inning.
 
Kasey Hinton hit a two-out single off the outstretched glove of Gabe Fyock to reach base for the 17^th straight game in the bottom of the second. After Hinton stole second, Josh Crowdus and Jordan Chovanec reached with walks to load the bases. However, Kidd lined out on a hard hit ball to Gabe Fyock at short to strand the bases loaded for the Statesmen.
 
Crowdus made several big plays on the night defensively at shortstop. First, the senior made a great leaping catch on a hard hit liner to rob Trent Wooldridge of a base hit in the third inning.
 
After a quick third inning for Delta State at the plate, Crowdus, Hinton and Brent Langston turned a double play following a lead off walk and Crowdus then made another good stop in the hole and made the throw to end the fourth inning.
 
Cody McGill relieved Colton Mitchell to start the fifth and recorded two strikeouts and a fly out in the inning.
 
Mitchell's finished the game with no runs on one hit and two walks, along with two strikeouts.
 
After a couple solid innings of relief from McGill, Garrett Pickens came in to pitch for Delta State with one runner on in the seventh.
 
Harding then tied the game, scoring on a throwing error from Kidd coming in from right field. The play started with a hit-and-run single by McCarver. Pinch runner John Chapman advanced home after the Kidd throw passed Aldridge at third.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, the Statesmen answered with a run. Crowdus walked and then advanced to third on a throwing error on a pickoff attempt. Two batters later, Crowdus scored on a fielding error by Kyle Atkins at center field, dropping a fly ball by from Sam Kidd.
 
Pickens stayed in to pick up the win for the Statesmen. The Yazoo, Miss. senior forced three groundouts in the eighth inning and then Pickens (2-0, 0.00 ERA) struck out the side in the ninth to seal the victory.
 
The Statesmen will now turn their sights to Alabama-Huntsville this weekend. The top two teams in the GSC Standings will play a doubleheader Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. at Charger Park.