ROME, Ga. – The No. 20 Delta State University softball team bounced back to earn a split with Shorter University on Saturday afternoon at Alto Park. Shorter led the entire game in a 4-2 victory in the opener, while the Lady Statesmen used timely hitting for a 3-2 win to earn the split.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final (GM1): Shorter 4, DSU 2
Final (GM2): DSU 3, Shorter 2
Location: Alto Park | Rome, Ga.
Records: Lady Statesmen (32-12, 20-6) | Hawks (24-16, 15-11)
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
GAME ONE
- After DSU stranded a runner on third in the top of the first, the hosts responded with an RBI groundout by Ericka Bynum.
- The Hawks added another run on an RBI groundout by Niki Cook.
- Trailing 3-2 in the fifth, DSU scored their lone runs of the contest on a two-RBI single with the bases loaded by Kaitlin Moore.
- Shorter scored an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth on a single to left by Savannah Thomas.
- Taylor Tucker (12-4) allowed four runs, three earned, on eight hits in six innings of work.
- Payton Lippert allowed two unearned runs on six hits in five innings.
- Kalei Kimbrell worked the last two innings, without surrendering a hit, to earn her sixth save of the season.
- Carah Nunez was the only DSU player with multiple hits.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
GAME TWO
- The Hawks scored their lone runs of the game in the bottom of the first when Ericka Bynum smacked a two-RBI double to right field.
- DSU responded in the second when Nunez smashed her fourth home run of the year, a two-run shot with two outs, to center field.
- The Lady Statesmen scored what proved to be the game-winning run in the third, when Jordan Jones singled up the middle to score Moore.
- Shorter had the game-tying run on second base with two out sin the bottom of the seventh, but Kendall Johnson was picked off at second base to end the game.
- Taylor Johnson (12-5) won her third straight start, as she allowed two runs on eight hits with two strikeouts. Johnson allowed just four base runners after the second inning.
STAT OF THE DAY:
- All three DSU runs in game two came with two outs.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
- The 32nd victory of the season eclipsed the previous career high of 31 (2014) for victories in a season by head coach Casey Charles.
- With her double in the third inning of game two, Moore is now tied for second all-time in GSC history with Marti Littlefield (Valdosta State-2009-12) and Melanie Carter (UAH-2000-03).
- DSU is now 10-5 in games decided by one run.
- With the victory in game two, the Lady Statesmen are 11-1 when hitting a home run.
UP NEXT:
DSU looks for its eighth GSC series victory on Sunday when it concludes the series with Shorter. First pitch is scheduled for 1:15 p.m., as the hosts are scheduled to observe their senior day.