CLEVELAND, Miss. – Senior Tre Hobbs yielded one run on four hits with six strikeouts to lead No. 2 Delta State University (43-11) to a 4-1 win over Nova Southeastern (35-17) in the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament on Saturday at Harvey Stadium-Ferriss Field.  

Final Score:  No. 2 Delta State 4 | No. 17 Nova Southeastern 1
Date/Time: Saturday, May 20, 2017 | Start 7:57 p.m. | TOG 2:44
Location: Cleveland, Miss. | Harvey Stadium-Ferriss Field
Records:  Statesmen 43 -11 | Sharks 35-17
Series: Series tied 8-5
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Jason Popovich singled to lead off the third and scored on a Zack Shannon single up the middle to give the Statesmen a 1-0 lead.
• The Statesmen scored three runs in the fifth to build a 4-0 lead. Popovich singled followed by an Ellis double to start the inning. Popovich scored on a Lane single to left and Ellis scored on a wild pitch. Clay Casey delivered a one out single to score Lane.
• Nova got on the board with a run in the top of the seventh. Jake Anchia tripled on a ball hit to center that Popovich reached over the wall to keep it in play to make the score 4-1.
• Closer Zach Osbon entered the game with two runners on base in the ninth and proceeded to strikeout the final three Sharks to seal the win.

ON THE MOUND

• Hobbs (8-4) recorded six strikeouts in eight innings of work to record his third straight win. The Greenville, Miss., native carried a one-hit shutout into the seventh before giving up a run on four hits before his night came to an end.
• Osbon notched his eighth save with the three strikeouts in the scoreless ninth.
• Devin Meyer gave up four runs on 11 hits with six strikeouts as the pitcher of record for the Sharks.

NOTEABLES

• Shannon's third inning RBI was his 88^th RBI of the season, passing Dee Haynes (87, 2002) for second on the DSU single season RBIs list. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native is four RBIs shy of tying Haynes (92, 1999) for first.
• Shannon third inning single extended his hitting streak to 18 games and his reached base streak to 48 games.
• Ellis led the Statesmen with three hits including a double, to extend his reached base streak to 27 games.
• Lane was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
• Popovich went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and has an eight-game hitting streak.
• Casey drew a walk to extend his games reached base streak to 37 while Ellis extended his reached base streak to 26 straight games.
• The Statesmen will play in the NCAA Division II South Region championship round for the second straight season.
• The Green-and-White improved to 33-1 when leading after seven innings and to 26-3 when scoring first.
• Delta State had 11 hits to record double figure hits for the 31^st time this season.
• Statesmen pitchers yielded four hits which is the second fewest hit total for the Sharks this season.

UP NEXT                                          

• The Statesmen advance to Monday's NCAA Division II South Region championship game against a tournament to be determined on Monday at 1 p.m.