PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Kade Dees' eighth-inning RBI single gave the Delta State University baseball team (2-3, 2-3 GSC) a 6-5 win over the No. 20/25 University of West Florida (5-3, 5-3 GSC) in game one of a doubleheader on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021, at the Jim Spooner Field.
The Statesmen's rally from a 7-2 deficit came up short in game two of the twin bill as the Argos held on for a 7-5 win in the nightcap.
THE BASICS
FINAL GAME 1: Delta State 6 | #20/#25 West Florida 5
FINAL GAME 2: #20/25 West Florida 7 | Delta State 5
DATE/TIME: Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021
START GM 1: 1 p.m. |
TOG: 2:45
START GM 2: 4:14 p.m. |
TOG: 3:31
LOCATION: Jim Spooner Field | Pensacola, Fla.
RECORDS: Statesmen: 2-3, 2-3 GSC | Argonauts: 5-3, 5-3 GSC
SERIES: Delta State leads the series 37-33 | 14-16 at Spooner Field
HOW IT HAPPENED (GM 1)
- Justin Dunnam doubled with two outs to stake West Florida to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
- Hayden White belted his second home run of the season to tie the game 1-1 in the bottom of the first.
- The Statesmen grabbed a 3-1 lead in the second. Patrick Hodges singled and scored on a Chad Ragland and Blake Wolferding singled and came home on a Jake Barlow single to right.
- UWF loaded the bases with two outs in the third but Statesmen starter Hunter Riggins coaxed a ground out to end the threat.
- A Blayke Dendy RBI double followed by a Hodge's sac-fly helped the Statesmen build a 5-1 lead after the third inning.
- West Florida plated four runs with two outs to tie the game 5-5 in the sixth. Bryant Harris delivered an RBI single and True Fontenot hit a three-run home run to left.
- Kirkland Trahan singled and scored on a Dees single to left field to put the Statesmen back in front 6-5 in the bottom of the eighth.
- TJ Childree got three flyouts in the ninth to seal the 6-5 win.
ON THE MOUND (GM 1)
- Tyler Walton (1-0) yielded two hits and had one strikeout in two scoreless innings of relief to record the win.
- Sean Means was charged with the go-ahead run in the eighth to take the loss. Means gave up one run on one hit with a walk and a strikeout over two innings pitched.
- TJ Childree (1) worked a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his first save of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED (GM 2)
- Dees reached on an error and scored on a Myles Christian sac-fly to give the Statesmen a 1-0 lead in the second inning.
- Miller Hancock doubled to right and scored on an Estrada single to center to tie the game 1-1 in the third.
- Chad Ragland singled to centerfield and scored on a Trahan single to put the Statesmen back ahead 2-1 in the fifth.
- The Argos scored five runs on three hits and took advantage of two Statesmen errors to take a 6-2 lead in the fifth. Cullan O'Shea, Dylan Menhenett and Sam Clement highlighted the inning with RBI singles.
- UWF increased the lead to 7-2 on a Menhenett RBI single in the eighth.
- The Statesmen cut the deficit to 7-4 on Barlow's two-run single with two outs in the bottom of the eighth.
- Blayke Dendy scored on a Hodges two-out, RBI single in the night to cut the deficit to 7-5 only to see O'Shea get a strikeout looking with runners at the corners to end the game.
ON THE MOUND (GM 2)
- Hunter Lucas (1-1) earned the win, recorded one strikeout in a scoreless relief inning of work.
- Kole Kittrell (0-1) allowed four runs on one hit with three walks to suffer the loss for the Statesmen.
- O'Shea (1) gave up one run on four hits with a strikeout to record the save.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The Statesmen's win in game one snapped a three-game losing skid at Jim Spooner Field.
- Trahan was 3-for-4 to lead to pace seven Statesmen that collected hits in game one.
- Estrada, Menhennett, and Harris each had two hits for the Argos in game one.
- Hodges went 2-for-5 with an RBI and Trahan was 2-for-5 with an RBI to lead the Statesmen in game two.
- Barlow led the Green-and-White with two RBIs as all nine batters collecting at least one hit in the Statesmen lineup.
- Menhenett drove in two runs on a pair of hits to lead UWF in the nightcap.
UP NEXT
- Delta State and West Florida close out the series with a single game on Monday at 1 p.m.