PENSACOLA, Fla. – Junior
Seth Birdsong tossed a five hit shutout while striking out three to lead No. 5 Delta State University (32-8, 22-5 GSC) to a 6-0 win and a three-game series sweep of the University of West Florida (23-18, 15-12 GSC) on Saturday at Jim Spooner Field.
Brian Lane and
Clay Casey had a double and two RBIs apiece to help lead the Statesmen.
Final Score: #5 Delta State 6 | West Florida 0
Date/Time: Sat., April 15, 2017 |
Start 12:59 p.m. |
TOG 2:07
Location: Pensacola, Fla. | Jim Spooner Field
Records: Statesmen 32-8, 22-5 GSC | Argonauts 23-18, 15-12 GSC
Series: Delta State leads the series 33-28, 12-13 at Jim Spooner Field
HOW IT HAPPENED
- On The Statesmen took a 2-0 lead in the top of the 1st on RBI doubles by Brian Lane and Clay Casey.
- West Florida loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the first, but Statesmen starter Seth Birdsong got Tanner Halstead to pop out to end the threat.
- Delta State added four runs in the top of the sixth to build a 6-0 lead. Popovich reached on an error followed by singles from Emil Ellis and Lane to load the bases. Zack Shannon singled to score Popovich and Casey singled home Ellis while two more runs came across on a throwing error.
ON THE MOUND
- Seth Birdsong (7-1) scattered five hits with three strikeouts in the complete game shutout.
- Jared Gonzalez (3-2) gave up six runs, three earned, on six hits with no strikeouts to suffer the loss for UWF.
NOTEABLES
- Casey went 2-of-4 with a double and two RBIs while Lane finished 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI to lead the Statesmen.
- Shannon's RBI single in the sixth extended his consecutive games reached base streak to 34 while Casey's two-hit outing extended his reached base streak to 24 games.
- The shutout was the Statesmen's fifth shutout of the season and the second straight shutout of the Argos.
- The series sweep of the Argos was the first by a visiting team since the Statesmen swept the 2012 series.
- Birdsong recorded his third complete game and second shutout of the season.
- After giving up five runs through six innings in game one, the Statesmen recorded 19 scoreless innings to close the series.
- Delta State improved to 20-4 overall and 13-2 in the GSC on the road and have won seven straight on the road.
- The Green-and-White extended their winning streak to 10 games overall and 15 straight in GSC games.
UP NEXT
- Delta State returns home for a five-game home stand, starting with Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
