FINAL: Delta State 14 (1-3), UAM 8 (3-2)
 
DELTA STATE STARTERS: Cummins (CF), Giambrone (DH), Pickard (1B), Gil (3B), Thibodeaux (LF), Barrett (C), Swiney (RF), Rivera (2B), Andrews (SS); Stringer (LHP)
ARKANSAS AT MONTICELLO STARTERS: Comeau (SS), Ray (LF), Gilliam (DH), Steinke (C), Wood (RF), Cerda (2B), Dornblut (1B), Tucker (CF), Womack (3B); Aldridge (RHP)

THE BASICS: Junior Ben Pickard's five-hit, five-RBI day helped ignite Delta State University's offense to a 14-5 win over Arkansas at Monticello. The win marked the first triumph of the season for the Statesmen (1-3).
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Statesmen loaded the bases in the first inning, with a pair of singles off the bat of juniors Brandon Cummins and Ben Pickard. Junior Ethan Gill drew a hit by pitch to leave the bases full with one out, but a strikeout and a groundout ended the frame with no score.
• In the bottom of the first, two Arkansas Monticello batters were hit by pitches and another was walked to load the bases. A third hit by pitch saw the game's first run cross home plate to give the Boll Weevils a 1-0 lead. Junior Westin Stringer struck out the next UAM hitter swinging to end the frame.
• Senior Juan Rivera reached base on an error to start the fifth, the Statesmen followed with back-to-back singles from senior Jonathan Andrews and Cummins loading the bases. A double play left runners at first and third.
• Delta State used a double steal to get on the scoreboard, with Rivera stealing home to even the score, 1-1.
• The next batter, Ben Pickard connected on a two run shot over the left field fence giving the Statesmen their first lead of the day 3-1.
• In the bottom half, the Weevils wasted little time to get back in the game, loading the bases before C.J. Womack singled through the right side bringing home two runs. The two-out two-RBI single leveled the score, 3-3.
• Senior Landon Thibodeaux led off the top of the sixth with a double down the left field line. The following batter, junior Matt Barrett, cashed in with a two-bagger into right field pushing Delta State back on top. An Arkansas Monticello error with the bases loaded brought Barrett home. The Statesmen weren't done, as Pickard lifted a single into left field platting two more runs and extending Green and White lead out to 7-3.
• The Boll Weevils answered with two runs in the seventh including a Corey Wood leadoff homerun.
• A seven-run Statesmen eighth inning put the game out of reach, with Delta State on top 14-5. The inning saw four different hitters collect an RBI (Dalton Skelton, Pickard, Ethan Gill, Thibodeaux and Josh Paden).
• Arkansas Monticello added three runs in the ninth to close within six, 14-8, but that's all the damage the final frame saw.
• Junior reliever Justin Vincent picked up his first career win for the Statesmen going 1.2 innings of relief.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• In his first appearance as a Statesmen Westin Stringer went 1.0 inning, allowed one earned run, held the Weevils to no hits and struck out one.
• The run scored by the Arkansas Monticello in the first marked the first run given up by a starting pitcher in 12.1 innings of work. 
• Pickard's two-run home run in the fifth marked the first home run of the season for Delta State. The blast also gave the Statesmen their second lead of the season.
• The junior also set a new career high with 5 hits in the contest. Pickard also equaled his previous best single game RBI total of 5, set last season at West Georgia (March 31, 2014).
• Junior Josh Paden picked up an RBI single in his first at-bat of the season with a single into right in the eighth.
• Seven Statesmen picked up an RBI on the day, with the only multiple RBI performance coming from Pickard (5).

WHAT'S NEXT

• The Statesmen continue life on the road this weekend when they open GSC play at West Alabama starting Saturday Feb. 14. Scott Wyant and Keith Latham will have the coverage all weekend long on Statesmen Sports Network, beginning Saturday at 1:45 p.m.