CLEVELAND, Miss. – The Gulf South Conference opening twin bill lived up to the hype Saturday, Feb. 20, as Delta State (6-4, 1-1 GSC) and No. 7 West Alabama (7-3, 1-1 GSC) split a doubleheader at Harvey Stadium. The Tigers claimed game one, 13-11. In game two, DSU's Tre Hobbs pitched a complete game with a career-high nine strikeouts in a 1-0 shutout victory over UWA. Colton Welch provided the game-winning RBI single to right, scoring Austin McClain from second.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Game 1 Score: Statesmen 11, Tigers 13 | Game 2 Score: Statesmen 1, Tigers 0
Records: Delta State (6-4, 1-1 GSC), West Alabama (7-3, 1-1 GSC)
Location/Stadium: Cleveland, Miss. | Harvey Stadium
Attendance/Time of Game: 819 | 3:43 (GM1)/1:47 (GM2)
Weather: 71 degrees, Cloudy, SW 12 mph

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 1)

• Luigi Mendez put the Tigers up 1-0 in the top of the second with an RBI single to left, scoring Dylan Little from second.
• After a leadoff triple by Jake Bush, Marcus Morrisette made it 2-0 UWA with an RBI infield single to short. The Tigers kept the pressure on the Statesmen, as Morrisette came in to score on Adam Chamblee's RBI single to left to make it 3-0.
• Trent Giambrone's solo home run to left, his secondof the season, put the Statesmen on the board in the bottom of the fourth.
• Bush's blooper to right scored Nick Delgado, who tripled earlier in the inning, to put the Tigers back up by three, 4-1, in the fifth.
• DSU exploded for eight runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 9-4 lead on the Tigers. Ben Pickard (2) connected on a three-run home run for the big blow in the frame. Ethan Gill slapped a two-RBI single to left, with Will Robertson and Erick Santiago providing RBI singles.
• In the top of the sixth, Mitch Holgate's three-run home run, his second of the season, cut into DSU's lead and made it a 9-7. A wild pitch by Brady Chambley allowed the eighth run to score, as Bush came in from third to make it 9-8.
• A leadoff double to center by Dakota Glore jump-started a two-run inning for the Statesmen, as DSU went back up 11-8 on UWA after six. Brandon Cummins double to left-center and Robertson's single to center drove in the runs.
• The Tigers kept coming in the top of the eighth, plating five runs to take a 13-11 lead. After a pair of walks to open the frame, Little delivered an RBI single to right. After a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, UWA's Chamblee was hit by a pitch to score their second run. With two outs, Jack Cockrum came through with a two-RBI single and the Tigers scored their fifth run on a throwing error by Cummins.

OF RECORD (GAME 1)
Win: Jonathon Porter, UWA (2-1) – 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Loss: Bryant Johnston, DSU – 0.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER
Save: Austin Sanders, UWA (2) – 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K
 
TEAM LEADERS: DELTA STATE (GAME 1)
Hits: 2 – Robertson, Cummins
Runs: 2 – Cummins, Glore
RBIs: 3 – Pickard
HRs: Giambrone (2), Pickard (2)
 
TEAM LEADERS: WEST ALABAMA  (GAME 1)
Hits: 3 – Bush
Runs: 4 - Bush
RBIs: 3 - Holgate
HRs: Holgate (2)

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 2)

• Trent Giambrone led off the fourth with a double, but the Statesmen left him stranded at second, as the game remained tied 0-0.
• West Alabama threatened in the top of sixth with a runner in scoring position and two outs. DSU's Hobbs struck out Morrisette to end the inning and preserve the 0-0 tie.
• In the bottom of the seventh, pinch-hitter Colton Welch's game-winning RBI single scored Austin McClain from second to give the Statesmen the 1-0 victory. Dakota Glore, who McClain ran for, got DSU started with a single to center. Santiago followed with a single to center to put the Statesmen into scoring position.   

OF RECORD (GAME 2)
Win: Tre Hobbs, DSU – 7.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 9 K, 1 BB
Loss: Evan Miller, UWA – 6.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 6 K, 1 BB
Save: None
 
TEAM LEADERS: DELTA STATE (GAME 2)
Hits: 2 - Santiago
Runs: 1 – McClain
RBIs: 1 - Welch
HRs: None
 
TEAM LEADERS: WEST ALABAMA  (GAME 2)
Hits: 1 – Six different Tigers
Runs: None
RBIs: None
HRs: None
 
BEYOND THE BOXSCORES

• In game two, Hobbs (3-0) recorded a career-high nine strikeouts versus the Tigers in the 1-0 shutout victory. The Greenville, Miss., native threw his first complete game for the Statesmen, allowing six hits with one walk.   
• In game one, DSU starter Dalton Moats worked 4.1 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits with three walks and five strikeouts. The Kansas City, Mo., native faced 23 batters and threw 89 pitches. West Alabama's Jorge Cruz tossed 4.0 innings while giving up five runs on four hits with four walks and a pair of strikeouts.
• The Statesmen used six pitchers in game one, walking a season-high eight batters in the loss. The previous high was seven at Arkansas-Monticello on Feb. 9 at Weevils Stadium.
• DSU versus UWA is one of the longest running series in GSC history. The Statesmen lead the Tigers 84-42 in the previous 126 meetings on the diamond, but UWA has won five of the last eight meetings, including last season's GSC championship game, 8-4.
• West Alabama is the defending Gulf South Conference champions and the Tigers were picked to repeat in the annual preseason coaches poll. Delta State was picked to finish third.

 
UP NEXT

• The Statesmen and Tigers will conclude their three-game series on Sunday, Feb. 21 at Harvey Stadium. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on the Statesmen Sports Network. Matt Jones will have the call starting at 11:45 a.m. with the DSU Alumni Association Dugout Report.