CLEVELAND, Miss. - Corey Beard tossed eighth strong innings, scattering a pair of runs and striking out seven West Georgia hitters, and Zach Osbon closed the door for his third save of the year as the Delta State University baseball team dispatched West Georgia 5-2 in game one at Harvey Stadium-Ferriss Field. West Georgia built an 8-0 lead and held on to capture an 8-4 win in the nightcap to set up Monday's rubber match at 1 p.m.
 
Final Score:  #18 Delta State 5 | West Georgia 2 GM1
Final Score: #18 Delta State 4 | West Georgia 8 GM2
Date/Time: Wed. March 7, 2017 | 12:56 p.m. (GM 1) | 4:23 p.m. (GM 2)
Location: Cleveland, Miss. | Harvey Stadium - Ferriss Field
Records:  Statesmen 14-6 (7-4) | West Georgia 9-11 (3-8)
Series: Delta State leads 23-8
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (GM1)

• West Georgia struck first in the top of the second inning, as Logan Arnett singled in Artemis Kadkhodian with two outs to take the early 1-0 lead.
• Delta State responded by putting up a two spot in the bottom of the second. Clay Casey singled to left and stole second with two outs, and scored on Josh Russell's single up the middle. Russell then scored on an error by Arnett at third to make it 2-1. 
• The Statesmen added another in the bottom of the third, as Zack Shannon's looper into left center scored Brian Lane, who had reached on a four-pitch walk.
• DSU would make it 4-1 in the home half of the sixth, when Juwan Burney led off the inning with a base hit, stole second, and scored on a Justin Nussbaum single back up the middle.
• A Kadkhodian RBI double pulled the Wolves back within two runs, as Christopher Michals scored to make it 4-2.
• A Clay Casey RBI double down the third base line gave DSU a 5-2 lead.
• Zach Osbon came on in the ninth inning and faced four batters, striking out a pair to collec his third save of the year. 

 
ON THE MOUND (GM 1)

• Corey Beard made his sixth start for Delta State. Bear went eighth innings strong, scattering a pair of runs and eight hits while striking out seven batters to improve to 3-0 on the year.
• Osbon came on in the top of the ninth and notched his third save, tallying a pair of strikeouts and allowed just one hit. 

 
HOW IT HAPPENED (GM2)

• After a quiet first inning, West Georgia put up four runs in the top of the second inning. Drew Eady drove in a pair, while Price Peters and Logan Arnett each added RBI singles as the visitors took a 4-0 lead.
• West Georgia tacked on another run in the top of the fourth, as Peters singled up the middle to score Bradley Felkel to make it 5-0. 
• West Georgia pushed their lead out to 8-0 before the Statesmen began to battle back. 
• Delta State got an RBI single from Juwan Burney for their first run of the game and Clay Casey added a two-run double as DSU made it 8-3. Darek Sargent added an RBI single, his first collegiate hit, to make it 8-4, before a diving stab and double play by Kadkhodian ended the threat. 
• The Statesmen put runners at second and third with two outs in the seventh only to see a fly out end the threat and the game.

 
ON THE MOUND (GM2)

• Tre Hobbs (2-4) worked 4.2 innings, giving up eight runs on 11 hits with three strikeouts to suffer the loss for the Statesmen.
• UWG starter Ryan Sapp (2-1) picked up the win for the Wolves, working five innings and giving up four runs on seven hits with two strikeouts.
• Andrew Marshall allowed a hit in a scoreless seventh to close the game.

 
NOTEABLES

• Shannon went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in game one, while Clay Casey went 3-for-4 with a run driven in and a run scored. 
• Russell and Nussbaum also each drove in a run for Delta State in the first game. 
• Game one marked the longest outing of the year for Beard, dropping his earned run average by a run and a half, down to 4.57 on the year. 
• Osbon registered his staff-leading third save. Osbon sports a 0.55 ERA on the year and has given up just nine hits.
• DSU has registered eight or more strikeouts as a pitching staff in 15 of 19 games this season, and is 10-0 when leading after six innings.
• DSU scored three runs with two outs in the doubleheader and now has scored 55-of-124 runs with two outs this season.
• Brian Lane went 4-for-4 with a run scored to lead the Statesmen in game two.

UP NEXT
Delta State and West Georgia play the rubber game of the series on Monday at 1 p.m.