FINAL: NSU 10 (4-0), Delta State 3 (0-1)
 
DELTA STATE STARTERS: Cummins (CF), Thibodeaux (LF), Gil (3B), Pickard (C), Swiney (RF), McMillian (DH), Welch (1B), Rivera (2B0, Andrews (SS); Moody (RHP)
NOVA SOUTHEASTERN STARTERS: Woodard (CF), Urdaneta (RF), Fernandez (2B), Garcia (LF), Visbal (1B), Hernandez (C), Rodriguez (DH), Gibson (3B), Woods (SS); Baroniel (RHP)
 
THE BASICS: Delta State University got behind 10-1 to Nova Southeastern and only could muster two more runs, as they dropped the season opener on the road 10-3.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Junior centerfielder Brandon Cummins kicked of the 2015 season with a leadoff single to leftfield. The Drew, Mississippi native later stole second, but was left stranded as the ended.
• After not recording a hit in the first two innings of play, Nova Southeastern strung together four in the third taking a 3-0 lead. The frame was highlighted by doubles from Antonio Rodriguez and Roche Woodard.
• The Sharks tacked on another run in the fourth after a Statesmen error allowed Andres Visbal to score from third.
• In the fifth, Delta State finally broke through on the scoreboard. A single from senior Johnathan Andrews paired with a senior Landon Thibodeux walk put runners aboard at first and second. Junior Ethan Gill capitalized in the RBI situation, lifting a pitch into shallow right field bringing home Andrews.
• Three walks and a hit by pitch proved to be costly in the home half of the sixth, as Nova Southeastern's Nick McNeil connected home run to right field with the bases loaded for a grand slam.
• In the top of the seventh, pinch hitter junior Trent Giambrone drove a ball into center field that got past Sharks' centerfielder Roche Woodard and allowed the junior to come around and score. Thibodeaux followed with a triple, but the Statesmen left him stranded at third.
• The Green and White were at it again in the eighth, back-to-back singles from juniors Ben Pickard and Jacob Swiney, followed by a freshman Dalton Skelton walk loaded the bases. The Statesmen brought Pickard across when Giambrone was hit by a pitch to make the score 10-3.
• With two outs in the bottom of the eighth the game was called.

 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Three Statesmen made their pitching debut out of the bullpen, the group included: senior Turner Neely and juniors Jake Brumfield and Conner Burton. As a whole the trio logged 2.1 innings allowed four runs on one hit.
• The inside the park home run from Trent Giambrone, marked the first career hit for the junior college transfer.
• Delta State connected on its only two extra base hits in the seventh inning with Giambrone's inside the park homerun and Thibodeaux's triple.

 
WHAT'S NEXT

• The Statesmen and Sharks conclude the series tomorrow with a doubleheader slated to begin at noon (CT). All the action can be heard live on the Statesmen Sports Network.