Final Score: #23 Delta State 4, #20 Florida Southern 1
Location: Lakeland, Fla. | Henley Field
Records:  Statesmen 3-0 | Mocs 3-0
Series: Delta State leads series 9-8
 
Statesmen Upend No. 20 Florida Southern
 
LAKELAND, Fla. -- Corey Beard and Zach Osbon combined for 11 strikeouts while allowing one run and scattering six hits to lead No. 23 Delta State University (4-0) to a 4-1 win over No. 20 Florida Southern (3-1) on Friday night at Henley Field.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Brian Lane belted a solo home run to left with two outs in the top of the first inning to give the Statesmen an early 1-0 lead.
• Florida Southern tied the game, 1-1, in the fourth on a Jason Sierra solo home run to left.
• The Statesmen scored a run in the sixth and eighth innings to break the tie game and take a 3-1 lead..  Nick Morgan walked and scored on a double steal in the sixth. Emil Ellis walked and moved to third on a Lane single before scoring on a wild pitch in the eighth.
• Florida Southern loaded the bases with one out in the seventh only to see Osbon get two strikeouts to end the FSC threat.
• The Green-and-White added an insurance run in the ninth when Brown was hit by a pitch and scored on a Popovich RBI single with two outs.
• Lane finished the night 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI as the only Statesmen with multiple hits.
• Popovich, Brown and Zack Shannon also collected hits for the Statesmen.
• Ryan Frost and Austin Mauer led Florida Southern with two hits apiece.

 
ON THE MOUND

• Beard (1-0) struck out seven while giving up one run on six hits in 6.1 innings pitched to earn the win.
• Osbon (1) worked 2.2 scoreless innings with four strikeouts in relief for the save..
• FSC starter Logan Browning (1-1) gave up three runs on three hits and had five strikeouts as the pitcher of record for the Mocs.

 
GAME NOTES 

• Lane's first inning home run was his first as a Statesmen. Tyler Brown, Clay Casey, Justin Nussbaum and Jason Popovich belted their first career home runs during the Harding series.
• Cody Young started his first game behind the plate as a Statesmen, making it 14 new Statesmen to make a debut thought the first four games.
• Beard and Osbon combined to strikeout out a pitching staff season-high 11 FSC hitters.
• Delta State improved to 4-1 at Henley Field in Lakeland, Fla., and lead the all-time series 9-8.
• The Statesmen improved to 8-4 against Florida Southern under Head Coach Mike Kinnison.
• Delta State is off to a 4-0 for the first time since 2013 when the Statesmen began the year 11-0.

 
 
WHAT'S NEXT
No. 23 Delta State and No. 20 Florida Southern will play a single game on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. before playing No. 33 Mount Olive College at 6 p.m.