Box Score

CLEVELAND, Miss. – Ben Pickard went 4-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored to lead the No. 18 ranked Delta State University baseball team to a 9-5 victory over Ouachita Baptist University Tuesday, March 25 at Ferriss Field.  The Statesmen (17-6) collected a season-high 19 hits, while the Tigers (14-16) finished with 11 hits.

Dex Herrington's RBI single to left scored Kasey Hinton to put the Statesmen up 1-0 in the bottom of the first.  Ben Pickard's two RBI single to center extended the lead to 3-0, as Benji Sullivan and Herrington came in to score.  Ben Pickard's sac-fly to left-center made it 4-0 off OBU starter Craig Daniell.

The Tigers fought back for a run in the top of the second, as Matt Sinclair scored on Justin Weigel's RBI ground out to second base.  The Tigers loaded the bases, thanks in part to two walks, before DSU starter Casey Greene struck out Keegan Ghidotti looking to end the threat.

DSU got the run back in the bottom of the second on Benji Sullivan's solo home run, his first of the season, to left off Daniell. 

After a scoreless top of the third for the Tigers, OBU brought in reliever Josh Reeves.  The Statesmen quickly scratched out a run off the right-hander, as Hinton's RBI single plated Pickard for a 6-1 lead.

OBU scored its second run of the game in the top of the fourth on sac-fly to right by Ghidotti.  Tigers' shortstop Justin Weigel, who walked earlier in the inning, came in to score on the play.

Pickard picked up his third RBI of the day in the bottom of the fourth on a laser to center to extend Delta State's lead back to five run, 7-2. 

The Statesmen loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth off Reeves, but the sophomore retired the side to keep Tigers deficit at five, 7-2.

In the sixth, OBU scored a run without a hit, as Parker Norris came in to score on a wild pitch.  Norris drew a leadoff walk off reliever Nick Goza and moved into scoring position after a stolen base and wild pitch.  The Tigers could have had a bigger inning, but Goza bristled to retire the next three batters and keep the Statesmen up 7-3.

Hunter Twitty delivered an RBI single to left, scoring Pickard, to put Delta State back up five runs, 8-3.

The Statesmen tacked on a run in the bottom of the eighth, as Marc McMillian's sac-fly to center scored Pickard from third for a 9-3 advantage.

Travis Northern came on to pitch the ninth for the Statesmen.  The Tigers quickly loaded the bases before a line shot to second by Parker skimmed off the glove of McMillian, aloowing two to score and cut the DSU lead to four, 9-5. 

Northern was pulled for Trevor Blocker, who coaxed a ground out by Ghidotti to end the inning and preserve the 9-5 win.

Nick Goza (1-1) earned the win for the Statesmen after working 3.2 innings of relief.  The junior allowed two runs on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Will Robertson worked 2.0 innings of scoreless relief as well.  
    
Daniell (0-2) took the loss for the Tigers.  The right-hander allowed six runs on seven hits with a strikeout.  John Reeves tossed 5.0 innings of relief while giving up three runs on 11 hits.  Drew Feuerbacher worked a scoreless eighth. 

Pickard, a sophomore from Biloxi, Miss., led Delta State at the plate with four hits, three runs scored and three RBIs.  Herrington was 4-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI.  Hinton and Sullivan both collected three hits.  Twitty was 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs. 

Matt Sinclair was 3-for-5 to pace the Tigers.  Jace Melby, Will Wallace and Tyler Faught all closed the day with two hits.

The Statesmen and Tigers will wrap up the series on Tuesday, March 26.  First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Ferriss Field.  The game will be broadcast on the Statesmen Sports Network starting 15 minutes prior to first pitch with the DSU Alumni Association Statesmen Dugout Report on WMJW 107.5 FM and online at www.GoStatesmen.com.