CLEVELAND, Miss. – Hunter Riggings allowed one hit and struck out a career-high 10 batters to power the No. 10 ranked Delta State University baseball team to a 9-1 victory over East Central (Okla.) University on Friday, Feb. 1 in the season-opener at Harvey Stadium-Ferriss Field. Junior shortstop Darek Sargent went 2-for-3 with a game and career-high three RBIs while senior centerfielder Brett Young was 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs and runs scored.
 
Final Score: #10 Delta State 7 | East Central 0
Date/Time: Sat., Feb. 1, 2019 | Start 3 p.m. | TOG 4:10
Location: Harvey Stadium-Ferriss Field
Records: Statesmen 1-0 | Tigers 0-1
Series: Delta State leads 2-0
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Darek Sargent's RBI single to left scored Brett Young, who singled and stole second, in the bottom of the first inning. The Statesmen strung together four singles in the inning, including hits by Payton Lane, CV.J. Estave.
• Jake Barlow led off the bottom of the second with a triple off the left-centerfield wall. Weber Herbison's double down the left field line plated Barlow for a 2-0 Statesmen lead. A throwing error on Young's grounder to short allowed Herbison to score and Young to pull into second, as DSU led 3-0. After a walk to David Herrington and a wild pitch put the runners at second and third, Sargent lifted a sac-fly to right that scored Young from third to give the Statesmen at 4-0 lead after two innings.
• The Statesmen tacked on two additional runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 6-0 lead. Sargent drove in his third run with a single to left and Lane's sac-fly plated Herrington for the second run of the frame.
• Young's single over the pitcher in the bottom of the fifth scored Matthew Majeur from third to extend DSU's lead to 7-0.
• In the bottom of the seventh, the Statesmen tacked on two more runs on Young's second RBI and Herrington's infield single.
• ECU scratched across a run in the top of the eighth off reliver Payton Griffin, as Ryan White doubled down the right field line to score Hayden George from first.  

 
ON THE MOUND

• Making his first career start, Riggins (1-0) struck out a career-high 10 batters and allowed one hit in 5.2 innings, as the sophomore righthander earned the victory.
• Jonny Chavez (0-1) worked 4.0 innings for the Tigers, allowing six runs, four earned, on six hits with a pair of walks and a pair of strikeouts.
• DSU reliever Peyton Griffin worked 2.1 innings while giving up one run on two hits with a pair of walks and three strikeouts.
• ECU used Ryan Collins (1.0), Gage Wall (1.0) and Hunter Pogue (2.0) in relief.
• Layne Tedder walked one and struck out two in the ninth to close out the game for the Statesmen.

 
NOTEABLES

• Friday's season-opener was the first at Harvey Stadium-Ferriss Field for the Statesmen since sweeping a three-game series from Harding to start the 2016 campaign.
• Barlow's triple and Herbison's double in the second inning were the first and second extra-base hits of the year for the Statesmen.
• Young collected the first hit of the 2019 campaign, a single to center off ECU starter Jonny Chavez in the first inning.
• Barlow, Sargent and Young all collected multiple hits for the Statesmen.  
• Riggins made 18 appearances, all out of the bullpen, as a freshman in 2018. The Hernando, Miss., native went 3-2 with a 3.09 ERA and six saves.

 
UP NEXT

• Delta State wraps up its three-game series with East Central with a Saturday doubleheader. First pitch is set for Noon at Harvey Stadium-Ferriss Field.