CLEVELAND, Miss. – Delta State University and Valdosta State University split a Sunday doubleheader, as the Statesmen claimed game one 9-1 while the Blazers rallied for an 11-8 victory in game two on Senior Day at Harvey Stadium-Ferriss Field. The loss snapped a 12-game winning streak for the Statesmen and lowered Delta State's hold on the GSC race to three games with four to play.

Final Score (GM1): No. 3 Delta State 9 ! Valdosta State 1
Final Score (GM2): No. 3 Delta State 8 | Valdosta State 11
Date/Time: Sun., April 23, 2017 | 1 p.m. (GM1) / 4:24 p.m.
Location: Cleveland, Miss. | Harvey Stadium-Ferriss Field
Records: Statesmen 35-9, 23-6 GSC | Blazers 29-17, 16-13 GSC
Series: Series tied 21-21

HOW IT HAPPENED (GM1)

• Delta State took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first as the Statesmen scored both runs via a balk and a wild pitch.
• The Statesmen tacked on a run in the second, as Justin Nussbaum's RBI ground out brought in Juwan Burney from third.
• After loading the bases, the Blazers scratched the scoreboard in the fourth, as Elias Macias came in to score on a throwing error by catcher Josh Russell as he tried to complete a double play. Beard retired the next two batters he faced to quell the threat.
• DSU made it 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth on Brian Lane's RBI double to right-center. Emil Ellis, who walked to open the frame, scored on the play. Zach Shannon's single to left-center scored Lane to make it 5-1. Clay Casey's towering home run to left, his 13^th of the season, extended the lead to 7-1.
• Jason Popovich put the Statesmen up 8-1 in the bottom of the seventh, plating Nick Morgan, who had reached on an error by the reliever Tristan Cone.
• Casey's RBI single to left put DSU 9-1 after eight innings.  

ON THE MOUND (GM1)

• Corey Beard (5-0) started game one for the Statesmen, working 7.0 innings while allowing one unearned run, walking two and striking out eight. The Jefferson City, Mo., native tied his season-high for strikeouts in the performance.
• Bryant Johnston worked 2.0 innings of relief. The senior from Saucier, Miss., gave up two hits in the outing.
• VSU starter Hunter Jones (2-1) gave up seven runs, five earned, on eight hits in 5.0 innings of work to take the loss.
• Tristan Cone worked 3.0 innings of relief for the Blazers, allowing two runs on four hits with a walk and three strikeouts.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GM2)

• Valdosta State took a 5-0 lead in the top of the first off DSU starter Tre Hobbs. Tyler Homer's RBI single to left put the Blazers up 1-0 before B.J. White's RBI fielder's choice made it 2-0. Back-to-back run-scoring singles by David Wortham and Clint Carr extended the lead to 4-0. Cody Ilgenfritz's single through the middle made it 5-0 VSU and chased Hobbs from the game.
• The Statesmen answered with four runs in the bottom of the first to cut VSU's lead to one run. Shannon delivered a two RBI single to right to score the first two runs of the inning. With Shannon on first and Lane on second, Casey cleared the bases with a triple to right-center.
• VSU loaded the bases in the top of the second without an out to chase Statesman reliever Brady Chambley from the game. After Peyton White struck out Luke Suchon, David Wortham slapped an RBI single to right to extend the Blazers lead to 6-4. Carr followed with a sac-fly to center to plate the second run of the inning and a three-run advantage.
• DSU loaded the bases in the bottom of the third, but failed to score after hitting into a double play.
• Josh Russell singled and Justin Nussbaum doubled to open the bottom of the fourth. The back-to-back hits forced VSU starter Cooper Cain from the game. A sac-fly by Popovich scored Russell from third for the first run of the inning. Back-to-back doubles by Lane and Shannon tied the game at 7-7.
• VSU put runners on second and third with two out in the top of the fifth after Kendall Herron's double, but Statesman reliever struck out Chipper Andzel to end the threat and preserve the 7-7 tie.
• The Blazers took a commanding 11-7 lead in the top of the seventh after a hit-by-pitch and four consecutive singles.
• Shannon's solo home run cut the Blazers lead to three, 11-8, but DSU could not manage to scratch across any more runs as Beau Blair closed out the game for his fifth save of the season.  

ON THE MOUND (GM2)

• Tre Hobbs (5-4) worked just 0.2 inning while surrendering five runs on five hits and a pair of walks.
• Peyton White (3-1), who took the loss, came on in relief of Brady Chambley, who worked 0.1 inning and allowed two runs on no hits. White tossed 5.1 innings, giving up one run on three hits with a walk and six strikeouts.
• Zack Osbon gave up three runs on four hits with a pair of strikeouts in 0.2 innings of work.

NOTEABLES

• Delta State recognized its seven seniors prior to the Sunday doubleheader.
• The Statesmen hit one home run to move into a tie for the GSC lead with 43.
• Zach Shannon (41), Clay Casey (28), Nick Morgan (23) and Emil Ellis (16) are all riding extensive consecutive games reached base streaks.
• Brian Lane, Zack Shannon and Clay Casey all collected multiple hits for the Statesmen in game one. Lane went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles and an RBI. Shannon was 3-for-5 with an RBI and Casey was 2-for-5 with a home run (13) and three RBIs.
• Shannon went 4-for-4 in game two with two runs scored, a solo home run and four RBIs to drive his season total to 71 RBIs. The Cincinnati, Ohio native moved into an eighth-place tie with Bryan Williamson (2006) on DSU's single season RBI list.   

UP NEXT                                          

• Delta State hosts Valdosta State in the series finale on Monday, April 24 at 10:30 a.m.