CLEVELAND, Mississippi – The Delta State softball team earned its first Gulf South Conference series win of the season in a doubleheader sweep against Union University on March 4, 2017, at University Field in Cleveland, Miss.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final (GM1): Delta State 4 | Union 0
Final (GM2): Delta State 2 | Union 1
Location: University Field | Cleveland, Miss.
Records: Delta State (9-10, 3-5 GSC) | Union (11-7, 3-5 GSC)
Get Social: @DeltaStateSB
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
- The game remained a pitcher's duel until Delta State finally found the breakthrough in the bottom of the fourth. With bases loaded, Olivia Dick's sac fly to center field scored Hannah Salmon to give Delta State the 1-0 lead. But Kara Lane Nowell was caught stealing to end the inning.
- Delta State took a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth when Kory Watterson hit a three-run bomb.
- The Lady Bulldogs had the tying run at the plate in the top of the seventh with runners at second and third, but Mari Alex Sandridge struck Rachel Ridolfi out looking to seal the win for Delta State.
- Sandridge (2-2) went the long haul, pitching the shutout, while sacrificing only four hits.
- Starting pitcher Hannah Ridolfi (6-4) suffered the loss allowing four runs, all earned, on six hits.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 2
- Union struck first in the top of the first. The Lady Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead off an RBI double by Gabby Morris.
- Mari Alex Sandridge leveled the score in the bottom of the first with a single through the left side that scored Abi Gibson.
- The game remained tied until the bottom of the fourth when Hannah Salmon scored the game-winning run on a sac fly by Chelsea Lamping.
- But the Lady Bulldogs looked to make a comeback in the the top of the sixth when Paige Robertson doubled with only one out. Taylor Johnson was called into the circle to relieve starting pitcher, Bailie Springfield, and shut the Lady Bulldogs down to end the threat.
- The Lady Statesmen tried to add an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, but a line out, ground out, and pop up ended the inning.
- In the top of the seventh, Johnson made quick work of the Lady Bulldogs as Cummings and Hannah Ridolfi lined out. Johnson struck out Emily Bennett to end the game.
- Springfield earned the win to improve 4-0, giving up one run on four hits. Johnson earned the save, giving up only one hit in 1.2 innings of work.
- Starting pitcher Gabby Morris (3-2) suffered the loss allowing two runs on four hits, while striking out six.
- At the plate, Kory Watterson, Jordan Jones, and Sandridge led the Lady Statesmen offense. Watterson finished the day, going 1-for-5 with three RBIs and scoring a run. Jones was 2-for-4 and scored a run. Sandridge finished the day 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored.
- At the plate for the Lady Bulldogs, Morris had the only RBI of the day for the Lady Bulldogs. She finished the day 2-for-6.
STAT OF THE DAY
- Delta State out hit Union 10-9.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
- Delta State holds the 9-6 advantage in series history since Union joined the GSC in 2013.
- Since modern records have been kept (1994), DSU is 25-0 in home-openers, including 10-0 under current head coach, Casey Charles.
- Charles earned her 100th victory at University Field with Delta State's 2-1 win in game two.
- Watterson recorded her third home run of the season leads the team in homers.
- Watterson tallied her third multi-RBI game of the season.
- Jordan Jones tallied her ninth double of the season in game one. She leads the Lady Statesmen in doubles and ranks second in the GSC.
- Sandridge has reached base safely in the past 15 contests.
- Dick earned her first career RBI as a Lady Statesman.
- Johnson earned her career save, after preserving Delta State's one-run lead in game two.
- Delta State is 8-2 when scoring the first run of the game.
- Sandridge pitched her second career shutout in game one.
UP NEXT
DSU will go for the three-game sweep against Union at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 5
