CLEVELAND, Miss. – No. 7 Delta State University (39-11) belted a GSC Tournament game record six home runs to rally from a 16-3 deficit and earn a 19-17 win over Valdosta State University (34-20) in the 2017 Gulf South Conference Baseball Tournament on Monday at Harvey Stadium-Ferriss Field.
Emil Ellis had two home runs and six RBIs and
Jonathan Lindsey tossed 4.2 solid innings with four strikeouts for the Statesmen.
Final Score: No. 7 Delta State 19| Valdosta State 17
Date/Time: Mon., May 8, 2017 |
Start 5:01 p.m. |
TOG 3:46
Location: Cleveland, Miss, | Harvey Stadium-Ferriss Field
Records: Statesmen 40 -11 | Blazers 34-20
Series: Delta State leads the series 23-22
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Valdosta State scored three runs in the top of the second to get on the board first. Kendall Herron had an RBI single and Ryan Slaughter drove in a pair of runs on a triple down the right field line.
- Juwan Burney put the Statesmen on the board in the bottom of the second, belting his third home run of the year to cut the VSU lead to 3-1.
- The Statesmen tied the game, 3-3, off a two-run home run by Emil Ellis in the bottom of the third.
- Valdosta State scored 13 runs on nine hits to take a 16-3 lead in the fourth. BJ White and Tyler Homer belted grand slams to highlight the inning.
- Four runs crossed the plate for the Statesmen in the bottom of the fourth to cut the Blazers' lead to 16-7. Clay Casey singled and scored on a Russell single and Justin Nussbaum hit a three-run home run to score Burney and Russell.
- Ellis, Zack Shannon and Casey belted home runs to highlight a nine-run fifth that tied the game, 16-16. Ellis belted a three-run home run followed by a two-run bomb by Shannon to cut the lead to 16-15. Casey made it back-to-back home runs with a solo home run to tie the game. Nick Morgan had a two-run double and Nussbaum had an RBI single in the inning.
- The Green-and-White used a three-run sixth to take a 19-16 lead. Cody Young singled and Morgan walked to open the inning. Young came home on a double by Popovich to put the Statesmen ahead 17-16. Morgan scored on an Ellis ground out and Popovich scored on a Lane single.
- Homer walked to start the top of the ninth and scored when Clint Carr reached on a fielder's choice. Shannon recorded a strikeout and a ground out with the runners at second and third to close the game and earn his first save.
ON THE MOUND
- Jonathan Lindsey (1-0) worked 4.2 innings allowing 2 runs on five hits with four strikeouts to earn the win.
- Troy Massero (4-2) gave up four runs on three hits with a walk to suffer the loss for the Blazers.
NOTEABLES
- The season-high six home runs by the Statesmen set a GSC Tournament single game record previously held by Southern Arkansas, Valdosta State and Delta State.
- The 17 runs scored by the Blazers were a season-high for runs allowed by the Statesmen.
- Casey and Shannon each had 17 home runs lead the team and rank fifth on the DSU single season home run list.
- Ellis, who has reached base in 24 straight games, went 3-for-6 with two home runs and six RBIs and Burney went 3-for-5 with home run and three runs scored to lead the Statesmen 19-hit attack.
- Shannon went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs to climb into fifth on the school's single season RBIs list with 81 RBIs. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native has reached base in 45 straight games and extended his hitting streak to 15 games.
- Casey went 2-for-4 with an RBI and three-runs scored to extend his consecutive games reached base to 35.
- Popovich went 2-for-6 with a doubles and an RBI while Morgan added an RBI double.
- The win game Statesmen skipper Mike Kinnison his 13th 40 win season in his 21st season.
- The Statesmen have won seven straight GSC Tournament games since falling in the 2015 championship game to West Alabama.
UP NEXT
- The Statesmen play for their 14th GSC Tournament title against the University of West Alabama on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
