CLEVELAND, Miss. -- Josh Smeltzer had a home run and five RBI to lead the Delta State University Baseball team to a 14-4 win over Auburn University at Montgomery in the nightcap of a doubleheader on Saturday at Harvey Stadium-Ferriss Field.
 
The Statesmen rebounded from a 8-4 loss in game one as AUM's Troy Jones struck out eight and gave up two runs on six hits in 6.1 innings pitched for the Warhawks.

THE BASICS:
GAME 1 FINAL: Auburn-Montgomery 8 | Delta State 4
GAME 2 FINAL: Delta State 14 | Auburn-Montgomery 4
DATE/TIME: Sat., March 7, 2020 | 1 PM (DH)
GM 1 START: 1 p.m. | GM 1 TOG: 3:02 | GM 2 START: 4:34 p.m. | GM 1 TOG: 2:34
LOCATION: Harvey Stadium-Ferriss Field | Cleveland, Miss.
RECORDS: Statesmen: 12-9, 6-6 GSC | Warhawks 7-12, 6-6 GSC
SERIES: Delta State leads the series 6-1

HOW IT HAPPENED | GM 1

• AUM took advantage of two DSU errors to plate four unearned runs and take a 4-0 lead. Hayden Friesen reached on an error and scored on a Casey Henderson single in the second and Friesen had a bases-loaded double in the third.
• The Warhawks added three runs in the fourth to make the score 7-0 on a Matthew Zielanko three-run double.
• Friesen then doubled and scored on a Bailey Mosley sacrifice-fly for an 8-0 lead in the seventh.
• The Statesmen scored two in the bottom of the seventh to cut the lead to 8-2. Kevin Granger singled home Darek Sargent and Jake Barlow doubled and scored on a Ragland single.
• Delta State got its final two runs in the ninth. Granger was hit by a pitch, Ragland singled and Hayden White was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Granger then came in to score when Pratt was hit by a pitch and Ragland came in on a passed ball.

ON THE MOUND | GM 1

• DSU starter Jackson Rutledge (2-4) gave up six runs, two of them earned, on three hits with three strikeouts and three walks to take the loss.
• Troy Jones (3-2) picked up the win, recording eight strikeouts against two walks while allowing two runs on six hits in 6.1 innings pitched.

HOW IT HAPPENED | GM 2

• Zach Feaster hit a solo home run to left in the second to give the Warhawks a 1-0 lead.
• The Statesmen answered with four runs in the second to take a 4-1 lead. Josh Smeltzer launched a three-run home run to left with Blake Wolferding and Myles Christian aboard and Bradley Sanford walked and scored on a Granger single to left.
• Three more runs crossed the plate in the third as the Statesmen grabbed a 7-1 lead. Wolferding led off with a double off the top of the wall in left and scored when Sargent was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Bradley Sanford also walked with the bases loaded to plate Christian and Smeltzer scored on a Ragland sac-fly to left.
• Auburn Montgomery scored three times in the fourth to cut the Statesmen lead to 7-4. Casey Henderson highlighted the inning with a two-run single and a run scored on a bases-loaded walk.
• Delta State kept its foot on the gas peddle by scoring five runs in the fourth to stretch the lead to 12-4. White led off the frame with a single and scored on a Barlow single to center field. Smelter then drove in two more runs on a single to left followed by a Sargent RBI single.
• The final two runs scored in the sixth. Sanford and Ragland walked to get the inning started. A White single then plated Sanford and Ragland came in on a Wolferding sac-fly.

ON THE MOUND | GM 2

• Charlie Darnall (1-0) scattered four hits over 2.2 shutout innings with one strikeout to earn his first win of the season.
• Tyler Britton (0-5) gave up four runs on four hits with one strikeout and two walks to take the loss for AUM

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Ragland was 3-for-4 with an RBI in game one and 2-for-4 in game two.
• Smeltzer was 2-for-2 for two with a home run and five RBI in game two.
• White finished 3-for-4 in game one and was 2-for-4 with an RBI in game two.
• Wolferding went 2-for-4 with a double and three runs scored in game two.

 
UP NEXT:
The Statesmen remain at home at Ferriss Field as they welcome Ouachita Baptist on Tuesday, March 10 at 6 p.m.