TAMPA, Florida – Fourth seeded Florida Southern College used a big sixth inning to rally for an 8-4 win over third seeded Delta State University in game three of the NCAA Division II South Region Baseball Tournament Thursday at the University of Tampa Baseball Field. 

Delta State fell to 38-12 on the season and will face top seed the University of Tampa in an elimination game on Friday at 3 p.m.  Florida Southern moved to 33-17 and will face fifth seed Alabama-Huntsville at 7 p.m.

Florida Southern erased a 2-0 deficit with a seven-run sixth inning to take a 7-2 lead. Keith Curcio highlighted the inning with a bases clearing triple while Scottie Withrow and Trey Vavra delivered RBI singles and Kyle Richards reached on a fielder's choice to get another run across.

The Statesmen answered with a run in the sixth and seventh innings to cut the deficit to 7-4. Dex Herrington worked a lead off walk and after advancing to third on a Carlos Leal single, scored on a Ben Pickard sac-fly in the sixth.  Kasey Hinton was hit by a pitch and scored when Leal, who went 2-for-3 with an RBI, drew a bases loaded walk in the seventh.

Curcio walked to begin eighth and Vavra followed with an RBI double to extend the FSC lead to 8-4.

The Moccasins mounted the first threat of the night loading the bases on two hits and an error with one out in the second.  DSU starter Michael Manley struck out Kyle Richards and forced an inning ending ground ball from Casey Eddinger.  

The Statesmen manufactured a run in the third and fourth innings to break the scoreless tie.  Hinton reached on an error to lead off the third and scored on a Jordan Chovanec ground out.  Herrington doubled to start the fourth and scored on a ground ball double play to give DSU a 2-0 lead.

A Richards' lead off single got the top of the fifth started for the FSC only to see Ricky Velez turn an Eddinger line drive into a double play.  Conor Sczerba singled an Curcio reached on a catcher's interference to extend the inning before a Vavira ground out brought the inning to a close.

Florida Southern starter Ben Richardson picked up the win, allowing four runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and a walk to improve to 8-5.

Manley gave up four runs on six hits with two strikeouts and two walks over five innings to suffer the loss and fall to 8-3.