Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The No. 4 ranked Delta State University baseball team punched its ticket to the championship round of the Gulf South Conference Tournament on Sunday after the Statesmen (38-9) dispatched the No. 8 University of West Florida (33-10), 5-1, in the winner's bracket final at Young Memorial Field. 
 
DSU will face the University of Alabama in Huntsville on Monday, May 5 in what amounts to a throw away game due to the tournament bracket.  First pitch is set for 1 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on the Statesmen Sports Network.  Matt Jones and James Vallone will have the call.
 
Delta State wasted no time in jumping out to a quick 2-0 lead on Carlos Leal's two RBI single to center in the top of the first off UWF starter Dayan Rodriquez.  Will Robertson, who singled to right, and Dex Herrington, who doubled down the left field line, came in to score on the Leal shot.
 
Landon Thibodeaux doubled to left-center to open the second inning.  After a Kasey Hinton single moved Thibodeaux to third, Jonathon Andrews drove in his sixth run of the GSC Tournament with a ground out to short that extended DSU's lead to 3-0. 
 
DSU kept the pressure on UWF in the top of third, as Herrington led off the frame with a single to left. With one out, Ben Pickard slapped a single through the right side to put runners on the corners.  Rodriquez found a way out of the jam after striking out Brent Langston and coaxing a ground out by Thibodeaux. 
 
After scoring in two of the first three innings, UWF head coach Mike Jeffcoat made the decision to pull Rodriquez for reliever Matt Rodriquez in the fourth. The senior righthander made quick work of the inning, setting the Statesmen down in order.
 
In the fifth, Herrington reached on an infield single to short.  On one of the oddest plays of the tournament, Leal followed with a laser off the glove of the shortstop that spiraled into left-center.  Herrington, who was running on the play, came in to score from first.  The run increased the margin to 4-0 Statesmen.
 
DSU scratched out another run in the fifth to build a 5-0 lead on UWF, as Thibodeaux, who singled and moved into scoring position on Hinton's sac bunt, came in to score on a fielding error at short on a hard hit ball by Andrews. 
 
After keeping the Argonauts off balance for five innings, UWF finally got to Statesmen starter Drew Milligan in the sixth.  After back-to-back singles by Alex Greene and Sean Plunkett, coach Mike Kinnison made the call to the pen for right-handed reliever Nick Goza. 
 
Goza struck out Aaron Haag for the first out of the inning. Cliff Covington put the Argos on the board with an RBI single through the left side, as Greene scored to cut the lead to 5-1.  Goza ended the UWF rally with back-to-back groundouts by Kaleb Barlow and Austin Southhall.
 
The Statesmen and Argos went quietly in the seventh, as DSU maintained its four run lead.
 
After a quick top of the eighth for the Statesmen, UWF tried to rally with one out in the bottom of the inning.  Sean Plunkett laced a single to single to right to begin the threat.  Aaron Haag reached on a fielder's choice, as Plunkett was erased on the play.  Covington collected his third hit of the day and moved Haag over to third into scoring position.
With the lead on the line, Goza bristled on the mound and struck out Barlow swinging to end the innings and preserve DSU's 5-1 lead.
 
UWF reliever Matt Vollenwider set the Statesmen down in order in the top of the ninth to set up a final frame for Goza and DSU.
 
Goza, the junior from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, worked quickly in the inning, as he forced Southhall to flyout to left for the first out.  Bajdaun followed with a deep shot to left-center, but Robertson chased it down on the warning track for the second out.  The Argos hopes were shattered, as Keifer grounded out to Hinton to end the game and put DSU into Tuesday's championship game.
 
Milligan (4-2) earned the win after tossing 5.0 innings and allowing one run on three hits with one strikeout.  Goza (2) picked up his second save after throwing 4.0 scoreless innings of relief.
 
Herrington led DSU at the plate, as the senior from Senatobia, Mississippi went 4-for-5 with two runs scored.  Leal and Andrews also finished with two RBIs.
 
Plunkett had a team-best three hits to lead UWF.