PENSACOLA, Fla. -- The Delta State University baseball team (28-18) could not overcome a big early deficit as the University of West Florida (33-9) claimed the 2021 Gulf South Conference Championship title with an 11-4 win on Thursday evening at Jim Spooner Field.
Jake Barlow,
Hunter Riggins, and
Jackson Rutledge earned GSC All-Tournament honors for the Statesmen.
THE BASICS
FINAL: #2 West Florida 11 | #5 Delta State 4
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, May 19, 2021
START: 1:58 p.m. |
TOG: 3:08
LOCATION: Jim Spooner Field | Pensacola, Fla.
RECORDS: Statesmen: 28-18 | Argonauts 34-9
SERIES: Delta State leads 38-36
HOW IT HAPPENED
- UWF scored seven runs in the first inning to take an early 7-0 lead. Justin Dunnam, Tyler Dowdy, Sam Clement, True Fontenot and Miller Hancock delivered RBI singles for the Argos.
- The Argos added two runs to on a Clement sac-fly and a Fontenot RBI double build the lead to 9-0 in the second.
- Jake Barlow tripled and scored on Wyatt Pratt's RBI ground out to get the Statesmen on the board down 9-1.
- The Argos got RBI singles from Hancock and Cullen O'Shea to take an 11-1 lead in the fourth inning.
- The Statesmen scored a run in the fifth when Barlow doubled and scored on a Wyatt Pratt single to make the score 11-2.
- Blayke Dendy and Barlow had RBI singles in the eighth to cut the UWF lead to 11-4.
ON THE MOUND
- Josh Lewis (0-3) yielded six runs, five earned, on three hits with a walk and a hit batter to suffer the loss for Delta State.
- Ryan Brewer (6-2) earned the win for UWF, tossing 7.0 innings while allowing two runs on five hits with five strikeouts.
- Jackson Rutledge posted three strikeouts and gave up one hit in 5.2 scoreless innings in relief for the Statesmen.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Although the bid for a GSC record 16th baseball title came up short, the Statesmen made a GSC record 20th title game appearance.
- The GSC All-Tournament team saw pitcher Hunter Riggins, infielder Jake Barlow, and pitcher Jackson Rutledge earn honors for the Statesmen.
- Barlow had two singles, a double, and a triple with an RBI to finish the day a home run shy of the cycle.
- Ragland finished 2-for-3 with two singles and a run scored.
- The Statesmen turned one double play to extend their GSC and NCAA leading double play mark to 44.
- UWF won the best of three series 2-1 to claim the title.
- UWF All-Tournament team members: Evan Floyd (MOP), Dylan Menhennett, Cullen O'Shea and Tyler Dowdy.
- Garrett Bodine (UAH), Parker Henson (UAH), Ryan Beamish (Lee) and Colton Yeager (Lee) round out the GSC All-Tournament squad.
UP NEXT
The Statesmen await their postseason fate when the NCAA Division II Baseball Committee announces the regional selections on Sunday, May 23 at 9 p.m. CT.