CLEVELAND, Miss. – The Lady Statesmen of the Delta State University softball earned a split in the series opening doubleheader against Shorter University on Senior Day Sunday afternoon.
INSIDE THE MATCHUPFinal: (GM1) Delta State 5, Shorter 2
(GM2) Shorter 9, Delta State 1 (6 innings)
Location: University Field | Cleveland, Miss.
Records: Lady Statesmen (23-19, 9-13 GSC), Hawks (28-11, 18-10 GSC)
Get Social: @DSUStatesmen | @DSUScores | @DeltaStateSB
HOW IT HAPPENEDGAME 1- Delta State used small ball to get on the board first in the bottom of the second inning. Junior Kassidy Tally led off the inning with an infield single, stole second, and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Kara Lane Nowell. Jessie Rodriguez's squeeze play allowed Tally to score standing up to give DSU the 1-0 lead.
- Shorter retaliated in the top half of the fifth with Johnson's two-RBI double to center field, SU's first extra base hit of the game, that gave the Hawks the 2-1 advantage.
- The Lady Statesmen threatened in the bottom of the fifth with bases loaded and one out, but Shorter's Maddie Bray struck out two consecutive batters to end the inning and the threat. Shorter maintained the lead, 2-1.
- In the home half of the sixth with the bases loaded, Kaitlin Moore was hit by a pitch to bring Rodriguez around to score, tying the game at 2-2. Later in the inning, Mariah Alvarez sent an RBI-single through the left side to score Adcock. With two outs, Tally reached on a fielding error by Shorter's first baseman, resulting in two more DSU runs coming across the plate for Delta State to regain the lead, 5-2.
- The Hawks stranded a runner in the top of seventh and fell by a final 5-2.
- Amber Adcock led the offensive attack, going 3-for-3 at the plate and scoring once. Hits were evenly dispersed between the two squads at eight apiece.
- Freshman Shayna Beaver (9-5) had an exceptional performance in the circle for DSU. The Paragould, Ark., native recorded her seventh complete game of the season and struck out a career-high six batters.
GAME 2- Shorter found redemption in the early innings, scoring three runs on three hits and a DSU fielding error in the top of the first. SU's Carter and Meacham each singled for the Hawks to give Shorter the 3-0 advantage.
- The Hawks plated two more runs in the top of the third courtesy of a two-run home run from Bynum, notching the score at 5-0 in favor of Shorter.
- Adcock grounded out in the bottom half of the third but scored Rodriguez from third base to put Delta State on the board, 5-1.
- Four more Shorter runs came across to score, one in the fourth and fifth and two in the sixth to build the Hawks' lead to 9-1.
- Five DSU batters came to the plate in the bottom of the sixth, but the Lady Statesmen could not gain enough momentum to plate a run, falling 9-1 in six innings.
- Taylor Holland and Alvarez each recorded two hits to lead Delta State's offense. Four others contributed one hit each.
- Taylor Johnson (9-5) suffered the loss, as she pitched 2.1 innings and gave up five runs, four earned, on six hits.
STAT OF THE DAY- Beaver's career-high six strikeouts halted Shorter's offense for Delta State to take game one.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE- Amber Adcock continues to climb in the DSU record books. The senior infielder ranks first in career doubles (50) and second in career hits (242). Adcock is chasing Alyse Hasty (2003-06) for the top spot with 292 in the most career hits category.
- Kassidy Tally is in the hunt for the career runs scored record at Delta State. She ranks fifth with 127 and is one away from tying Meredith Coleman (2003-06) in the four spot with 128.
- Game two was Delta Sate's fifth run-rule defeat of the season.
UP NEXT- Delta State and Shorter will wrap up the series on Monday, April 20 with a single game starting at 2 p.m.
