CLEVELAND, Mississippi – The Delta State University softball team scored 10 combined runs over the first three innings of two games as it swept a Gulf South Conference doubleheader from Lee University on Saturday at University Field. The Lady Statesmen held on for a 5-4 win in game one, before hitting two home runs in an 8-2 victory in the nightcap.
INSIDE THE MATCHUPFinal (GM1): Delta State 5, Lee 4
Final (GM2): Delta State 8, Lee 2
Location: University Field | Cleveland, Miss.
Records: Lady Statesmen (16-4, 7-0) | Flames (9-9, 2-6)
Get Social: @DSUStatesmen | @DSUScores | @DeltaStateSB
HOW IT HAPPENED Game 1 - The Lady Statesmen had four straight hits to help plate a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. After Kassidy Tally led off the inning with a double, she scored on an RBI single by Abi Gibson. Following singles by Kaitlin Moore and Morgan Kazerooni, Gibson scored on a sacrifice fly by Madison Zoeller.
- Lee scored its first run of the game in the third inning on an RBI double down the left field line by Lexie Dean.
- DSU scored what proved to be the game-winning runs in the bottom of the inning when Carah Nunez hit a one-out single up the middle to score Jordan Jones and Kazerooni.
- The Lady Flames responded with a pair of runs in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Rachel Polacek and a two-out single by Stevie Baird.
- Lee scored the final run of the game on a fielder's choice RBI by Courtney Crawford.
- The Lady Flames left a runner in scoring position in the sixth, but Taylor Tucker retired them in order in the seventh to end the game.
- Tucker (6-1) allowed four runs on 11 hits with two strikeouts.
- Leigh Beatenbough (1-2) gave up five runs on six hits with five strikeouts and three walks.
- Kazerooni (2-for-3) was the only DSU player with multiple hits. The Lady Flames had three players with multiple hits.
HOW IT HAPPENED Game 2 - Lee opened the scoring in the top of the first with a sacrifice bunt by Emily Dagnan, scoring Amanda Lynn.
- DSU answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning when Kazerooni blasted a home run to left field, her second of the season, to score Moore.
- The Lady Statesmen plated three in the bottom of the second, using the first career home run for Jones, a pair of throwing errors to score Nunez and an RBI single by Tally.
- DSU used five hits in the fourth to take a commanding 8-1 lead, as Moore drove in a pair and a double by Kazerooni drove in Gibson.
- Lee finished the scoring in the fifth on an RBI single by Dagnan.
- Taylor Johnson (5-2) allowed two runs on eight hits, with one strikeout.
- Angie Hughes (3-5) was one of three pitchers used by the Lady Flames. Hughes allowed five runs, three earned, on four hits. Hailey Clark allowed three runs on six hits in two innings, while Brianna Eichbaum did not allow a hit in 2.2 innings of relief.
- Tally, Moore, Kazerooni and Jones had two hits apiece. Lynn led Lee with three hits.
STAT OF THE DAY - Lee left 15 runners on base in the doubleheader, compared to just 10 for DSU.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE - The 8-0 start in GSC play marks the best start in conference contests since the Lady Statesmen won 11 straight in 2004.
- Kazerooni, who has now hit safely in 13 straight contests, has multiple RBIs in six games.
- Moore has driven in at least one run in 11 games.
- Tally has reached base safely in all 20 contests.
- The victory in game one marked just the second time this season that the Lady Statesmen have won a game in which they have been outhit.
- Opponents have stranded 15 runners (8-UWA, 7-LEE) in Tucker's last two starts.
- With the victory, coupled with a loss by Alabama Huntsville to West Georgia, the Lady Statesmen moved into first place in the GSC.
UP NEXT DSU will look for its third straight GSC sweep on Sunday, when it wraps up its series with a single game against Lee. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
