CLEVELAND, Mississippi – The Delta State University softball team pounded out 23 hits and held No. 3 University of Alabama in Huntsville to just seven, as it swept a Gulf South Conference doubleheader from UAH on Saturday at University Field. The Lady Statesmen took the opener 5-1, before running away with an 8-0 (5) mercy rule victory in the nightcap.
 
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final (GM1): Delta State 5, UAH 1
Final (GM2): Delta State 8, UAH 0 (5)
Location: University Field | Cleveland, Miss.
Records: Lady Statesmen (27-6, 15-1) | Chargers (25-6, 13-4)
Get Social: @DSUStatesmen | @DSUScores | @DeltaStateSB
 


HOW IT HAPPENED:
Game 1
 

• UAH opened the scoring in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly Tyler Harrison, scoring Abby Roberts. DSU starting pitcher Taylor Tucker forced the fly out by Harrison and a groundout by Taylor Wascavage to strand a pair of Charger runners.
• The Lady Statesmen answered in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single by Kaitlin Moore.
• After retiring 12 of the next 14 DSU batters, 2015 NFCA All-South Region performer Tyler Harrison allowed five hits in the bottom of the sixth, including a three run home run by Morgan Kazerooni and a solo shot by Jordan Jones.
• Following an error, Tucker retired the next two batters to finish the game.
• Tucker (11-1) allowed one run on just six hits with one strikeout.
• Harrison (15-3) allowed five runs on nine hits with one strikeout and a walk.
• Kassidy Tally, Moore, and Jones finished with two hits apiece to lead the Green-and-White.

 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 2
 

• After failing to score in the first, despite three hits in the frame, the Lady Statesmen took a 3-0 lead in the third on three straight doubles by Moore, Kazerooni and Madison Zoeller.
• The Lady Statesmen scored three more in the fourth, when Carah Nunez led off the inning with a home run to right field, a sacrifice fly by Abi Gibson and an RBI single by Moore.
• Kazerooni ended the game via the eight run mercy rule in the fifth when her single to center scored Gibson and Tally.
• Taylor Johnson (9-3) allowed just one and recorded two strikeouts.
• UAH starter Emily Glover (3-1) allowed three runs on five hits in 2.2 innings. Relief pitchers Taylor Doriety (3) and Rachel Burden (2) combined to allow five runs, three earned, in two innings.
• Tally, Moore and Kazerooni recorded three hits apiece to lead the Lady Statesmen.

STAT OF THE DAY
 

• DSU recorded 23 hits over 11 innings of play, including 13 in game two.

      
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
 

• The 8-0 loss by UAH in the nightcap marked the first time since a 9-1 (6) setback to Wisconsin-Parkside on Feb. 27, 2010 that the Chargers have been defeated by the mercy rule.
• UAH was swept in a doubleheader for the first time since dropping a pair of contests to North Alabama on 3-28-15.
• In her first career shutout, Johnson held UAH, which leads the GSC in batting average (.345), to a season-low one hit.
• DSU recorded nine hits in the opener, which is the second-most Harrison has allowed this season.
• Moore and Kazerooni have driven in at least one run in 19 games.
• Tally has recorded 10 stolen bases in the last four games.
• UAH entered play today 9-1 in its last 10 matchups with DSU.

UP NEXT
 
DSU will look for its fifth GSC sweep on Sunday, when it wraps up its series with a single game against UAH. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.