Box Score
JUPITER, Fla. - Delta State Baseball picked the first victory on the season, defeating Palm Beach Atlantic 8-7. The win gives DSU a split of the season opening games against PBA, following the 4-2 loss last night.
Travis Northern started for the Statesmen (1-1) on the mound, lasting into the fifth inning. Northern allowed a pair of runs in the first inning to score and a total of four over the outing while spreading out eight hits and four strike outs.
Trevor Blocker (1-0) picked up the win in relief. Blocker, who came in to relieve Northern, pitched 1.2 innings and gave up one run and struck out three.
Jonathan Moody was the third Delta State pitcher on the day, lasting 2.1 innings while yielding three hits and two earned runs with two strikeouts.
After Moody gave up a home run to A.J. Steimel,
Taylor Stark exited the bullpen to strike out the only two batters he faced to pick up the save.
The DSU offense exploded in the fifth inning with five runs, scoring the final three run in the sixth inning. Ten batters came to the plate in the fifth inning, with
Benji Sullivan starting the action with a single to right field.
Dex Herrington would double to deep right center field, driving in Sullivan and
Kasey Hinton - who had come on to run for
Juan Rivera after Rivera walked. Herrington ended the day going 4-for-5, with 3 RBI and scoring a pair of runs.
Ricky Velez picked up the RBI on a fielder's choice to score Herrington.
Ben Pickard followed the action with a single to left field driving in
Carlos Leal. Velez would later score on a double off the bat of
Will Robertson to left center field.
In the sixth inning,
Kasey Hinton hit a home run to deep left field for his first since joining the Statesmen prior to last season. After
Jordan Chovanec reached on an error, Herrington picked up the RBI on a double to left center field. A Velez single brought Herrington home for the final Statesmen run on the day.
DSU entered the final inning with a three run lead, but the Sailfish (1-2) were able to draw close when Steimel connected for a 2-run home run to start the inning off of Moody. Moody struck out the PBA catcher before a single forced the call to the bullpen to bring in Stark.
Stark would face the lead-off and second hitters atop the Sailfish lineup and record a pair of swinging strikeouts to end the game.
Delta State will wrap up action at Roger Dean Stadium Complex tomorrow afternoon, with first pitch set for 1pm Eastern.
