CLEVELAND, Mississippi – Ben Pickard and
Ethan Gill combined to go 7-for-10 from the plate with five runs and seven RBIs in Delta State University's 13-6 series-clinching win in game three over West Alabama on Sunday afternoon.
GAME INFORMATION Game Score: Delta State 13, West Alabama 6
Records: Statesmen (7-4, 2-1 GSC) | Tigers (7-4, 1-2 GSC)
Location/Stadium: Cleveland, Miss. | Harvey Stadium – Ferriss Field
Attendance/Time of Game: 761 | 2:49
Weather: 67 degrees, partly cloudy, SW 17 mph wind
HOW IT HAPPENED- West Alabama scored a run in its first at-bat, taking an early 1-0 edge before two more Tiger runs were plated in the top of the second, giving UWA a 3-0 lead.
- Ben Pickard led off the bottom of the second with a single to center field, igniting a two-run inning. Pickard later scored on a Colton Welch sacrifice fly. Brandon Cummins extended the inning with a single to right field that scored Jacob Swiney. DSU trailed West Alabama 3-2.
- The Statesmen executed on a West Alabama fielding error when Will Robertson hit a leadoff single to centerfield and made his way to third. Ethan Gill drove him home on a single through the hole at shortstop to tie the game 3-3.
- UWA went back up by three, 6-3, in the top of the fourth when Mitch Holgate cleared the bases with his third long ball of the season.
- Delta State took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. Robertson jump started the inning with a single to left center and made it to third on a fielding error. Gill drove him in for his second RBI of the game. Ben Pickard's infield single coupled with a UWA throwing error scored Gill, while Jacob Swiney's groundout plated Pickard. A pinch hitter, Dakota Glore, drove in his first RBI as a Statesman, giving the Green-and-White the 7-6 edge.
- The Green-and-White used seven hits to score five runs in the bottom of the sixth to extend their lead to 12-6. Gills' two-RBI double, Pickard's two-run homer and Cummins' single down the right field line contributed to the scoring.
- Pickard used a single to left field to score Robertson, who led off the inning with a walk. Delta State took a 13-6 lead into the eighth inning.
- West Alabama went nine up, nine down in its last three at-bats for DSU to take the 13-6 victory and the series.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORES- Delta State pounded out a season-high 19 hits, the most since a 26-hit output on April 1, 2015 in a 31-7 win over Mississippi Valley State.
- Ethan Gill and Ben Pickard combined to go 7-for-10 from the plate with seven RBIs and five runs.
- Pickard tied his season-high three RBIs, while establishing a new season-high four hits.
- Gill knocked in a season-high four RBIs, tying his career-high and tied his season-high four hits.
- Junior LHP Justin Vincent (1-0) shut down the West Alabama bats in his 5.0 innings of work. The Benton, Ark., native gave up no runs on no hits, while striking out a career-high six batters to earn his first win of the season.
UP NEXT- The Statesmen travel to Magnolia, Ark., for mid-week action against Southern Arkansas. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. in the single game.