Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
VALDOSTA, Ga. - Delta State Baseball continued the Gulf South Conference road trip by splitting the Saturday doubleheader at No. 24 Valdosta State.  The Statesmen took the opening game, 8-3, before dropping the seven inning contest, 4-3.  The series will wrap up with one more game Sunday at 1 pm.

In Game One, Michael Manley got the start and picked up his second win of the year with a complete game.  Manley struck out a pair while scattering nine hits and giving up three runs.

Delta State (6-5, 5-3 GSC) started the scoring in the bottom of the second when Landon Thibodeaux connected with a homerun to deep left center field, driving in Hunter Twitty to spot Manley to an early 2-0 lead.  Carlos Leal drove in a pair with a single to right field in the fifth, pushing the DSU lead to 5-1.

The Statesmen added one more run in each of the final three innings, while the defense prevent the Blazers (11-3, 4-3 GSC) from scoring after the sixth inning.  Delta State totaled 14 hits, lead by three hits by Dex Herrington while four batters picked up two hits each.

Game Two had a solid start by Jonathan Moody.  Moody, making his first start for Delta State, went a career long 5.1 innings while allowing four runs and striking out four batters.

After the Blazers scored in the bottom of the first, Delta State scored in the second inning when Jonathan Andrews was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to plate Ben Pickard.  The Statesmen took the lead  in the fourth inning when Will Robertson drove in Brent Langston with a sacrifice fly, staking Moody to a 2-1 lead.

Valdosta took the lead after scoring twice in the fifth inning.  Thibodeaux drove in Twitty in the sixth inning to tie the game 3-3.  Valdosta State took the lead in the bottom of the sixth and held on for the seven inning victory.

The two teams will take the field on Sunday for the series finale from Billy Grant Field with first pitch set for 1pm Eastern.

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