CLEVELAND, Mississippi -- After being shutout 2-0 in game one, the Delta State University softball team tied its season high with 16 hits in a 7-4 victory to salvage a split with the University of Montevallo on Wednesday at University Field.
INSIDE THE MATCHUPFinal (GM1): Montevllo 2, Delta State 0
Final (GM2): Delta State 7, Montevallo 4
Location: University Field | Cleveland, Miss.
Records: Lady Statesmen (11-4) | Falcons (6-8)
Get Social: @DSUStatesmen | @DSUScores | @DeltaStateSB
HOW IT HAPPENEDGame 1- Montevallo scored the lone runs of the game in the top of the seventh on a two-out single by Dylan Bailey.
- The Lady Statesmen had their best chance of the contest in the first inning when Kassidy Tally stole second base with no outs, but UM pitcher Jocelyn Rivera retired three straight batters to end the threat.
- UM left 10 runners stranded.
- Jostlyn Higgerson (4-3) allowed one hit in two innings of relief. Rivera allowed two hits in three innings, with four strikeouts, and earned her second save after reentering the contest in the seventh.
- Taylor Tucker (4-1) allowed two runs on two hits in three innings of relief. Starting pitcher Katie Justice allowed four hits in four innings, with four strikeouts and five walks.
- Four DSU players had one hit apiece.
HOW IT HAPPENEDGame 2- After being shut out in game one, the Lady Statesmen plated four runs in the bottom of the first, scoring on a wild pitch, an RBI single by Madison Zoeller and a two RBI double by Jordan Jones.
- DSU added to its lead in the second with RBI singles by Kaitlin Moore and Morgan Kazerooni.
- The Falcons cut the lead in half with three runs in the fourth, but the Green-and-White responded with a run-scoring single by Abi Gibson.
- UM added the final run of the contest in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI double by Bailey.
- Taylor Johnson (3-2) went the distance, and allowed four runs on just four hits, with three strikeouts and one walk.
- Kendra Buckley (0-2) allowed four runs, three earned, on three hits. Three other UM pitchers combined to allow three runs on 13 hits.
- Tally and Kazerooni had three hits apiece, while Moore, Gibson and Kara Lane Nowell added two.
STAT OF THE DAY- In game one, Montevallo pitchers allowed just two runners to reach scoring position.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE- DSU has scored first in all but three games this season.
- The Lady Statesmen were shut out for the first time since dropping a 1-0 decision to Alabama-Huntsville on May 1, 2015.
- DSU has collected multiple hits six times this season, including five of the last eight contests.
- Kazerooni has doubled in four of the last six games.
- With her RBI single, Moore has now driven in 125 runs in her career.
UP NEXT- DSU hosts West Alabama for a three-game Gulf South Conference series beginning with a doubleheader on Friday, Feb. 19. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. The games were originally scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 20, and Sunday, Feb. 21 but were moved due to the threat of severe weather.
