Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
MAGNOLIA, Ark. - Delta State Baseball came back to outslug Southern Arkansas in the second game of a Saturday doubleheader to earn a split of the action, 3-9 and 9-1.  The Muleriders took the game at Ferriss Field earlier this season to setup a Sunday game to determine the season series.

Southern Arkansas opened game one with a solo home run off Michael Manley (6-2) before DSU took the lead with a two-run third.  Jordan Chovanec delivered a triple down the right field line to score Benji Sullivan.  Kasey Hinton delivered a fly ball to center field that brought in Chovanec to make the score 2-1.

Southern Arkansas added a pair of runs in the home part of the inning to take the lead for good when Trevor Rucker delivered a 2-run home run.

Landon Thibodeaux scored the final run for the Statesmen with a solo home run in the sixth inning.

Delta State scored three runs on five hits and drew six walks from Mulerider pitchers.  Manley pitched 5.2 innings and gave up eight hits and six runs with four strikeouts.  Nick Goza and Will Robertson finished the game on the mound, combining to throw 2.1 innings giving up three hits and three runs in relief.

Thibodeaux led the offense going 2-for-4 with Chovanec, Robertson, and Sullivan each getting a base hit.

Game two saw a different Statesmen offense score nine runs and collecting seven hits on the way to a 9-1 victory.

Tyler Cameron led off game two with a solo shot off Jonathan Moody, something he did in each game of the day.  Moody then went on a roll to retire 17 consecutive batters.

Delta State (27-8) erupted for an eight-run fourth inning.  With the bases loaded, Brent Langston delivered a two RBI double to left center field to bring in Hinton and Ricky Velez to start the rally.  Robertson connected on a sacrifice fly to right field to bring in Ben Pickard from third base.  Thibodeaux singled to the opposite field to bring home Langston before he scored on a Chovanec single back up the middle. Hinton followed up with a three-run home run capping on the inning and making the score 8-1.

Robertson scored the final run of the day on a squeeze play at home plate on a beautifully executed bunt Chovanec.

Moody (7-1) delivered his fourth seven-inning complete game performance, matching his career-high with eight strike outs.  The junior from Millington, Tenn., held SAU (30-12) to just three hits and two walks while facing just 26 batters.

Velez went 2-for-4 with a run scored as five other batters collected hits.  Hinton drove in three runs and scored twice with Chovanec and Langston each driving in a pair of runs.

The series wraps up Sunday with a 12 noon first pitch with an opportunity for the Statesmen to tie the season series.  Drew Milligan is expected to get the start on the mound for Delta State.