Box Score
CLEVELAND, Miss. - Delta State baseball batted around in the first inning, scoring nine times, to set the tone on way to a 13-0 home victory over Ouachita Baptist. The win was the tenth home win of the season and marked another milestone as it was game 1,000 at the helm for head coach
Mike Kinnison.
Delta State (18-6, 14-3 GSC) capitalized on three walks and four hits in the bottom of the first to score nine runs while sending 13 batters to the plate.
Ben Pickard continued his terrorizing of the Tigers with a single up the middle to drive in the first two runs of the game. Pickard would go 3-for-3 on the day, scoring twice and driving in the two runs a day after going 4-for-4 with three RBI and scoring three times.
Dex Herrington scored on a wild pitch before
Will Robertson hit an opposite field single to right bringing in Pickard.
Carlos Leal scored when
Jordan Chovanec was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and
Kasey Hinton drove in
Landon Thibodeaux with a sacrifice fly to make the score 6-0 and chase Austin Watson after just 0.2 innings of work. Herrington picked up a three RBI double down the left field line for the final three runs of the first inning.
The Statesmen added four runs in the second inning, with a Robertson double to left scoring Pickard from second base. Leal scored on a Chovanec sacrifice fly before Robertson was able to score on a Hinton double to right field.
Drew Milligan (1-2) picked up his first win of the season tying for his longest outing of the season, 4.0 innings pitched, striking out three and walking just two batters with one hit allowed. The hit surrendered to the lead-off batter for Ouachita Baptist (14-17) was the only hit given up by Delta State. Milligan picked up a pair of strike outs in the opening inning.
The Statesmen turned to a trio of relievers, each working one inning apiece.
Witt Haggard was brought in for the fifth inning setting the Tigers down 1-2-3.
Trevor Blocker worked the sixth inning and faced just four batters, giving up the lone walk from the DSU bullpen.
Taylor Stark closed the game in the seventh inning, striking out the final two batters of the game.
After going scoreless after the second inning, Delta State scored the game's final run in the fifth on another Robertson hit as
Brent Langston scored from second base after picking up a pinch hit double down the left field line.
Robertson went 4-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Herrington had the three RBI while
Benji Sullivan went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Chovanec also was successful on his ninth stolen base of the season.
Delta State will travel to West Georgia (12-18, 6-8 GSC) for a weekend three game Gulf South Conference series beginning Saturday at 2pm Eastern. GoStatesmen.com will have links to Audio and Live Stats from Carrollton, Ga.
