PENSACOLA, Fla. -- The University of Tampa (17-4) scored a run in the eighth inning to take a 7-6 lead and held on for the win over the Delta State University baseball team (28-19) in the opening game of the NCAA Division II South Region Baseball Tournament on Thursday at Jim Spooner Field.
THE BASICS
FINAL: #13 Tampa 7 | #22 Delta State 6
DATE/TIME: Thursday, May 28, 2021
START: 11:00 a.m. | 
TOG: 3:12
LOCATION: Jim Spooner Field | Pensacola, Fla.
RECORDS: Statesmen: 28-19 | Spartans 17-4
SERIES: Tampa leads 7-6
HOW IT HAPPENED 
	- Tampa took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a Dan Sullivan RBI single to right field.
- The Statesmen tied the game 1-1 in the top of the second. Wyatt Pratt walked and scored on a Darek Sargent sac-fly.
- Chad Ragland doubled and scored on a Kirkland Trahan RBI groundout to put the Statesmen in front 2-1.
- Ground outs by Drew Ehrhard and Jamarcus Lyons produced two runs in the third as the Spartans regained a 3-2 lead.
- Jake Barlow tied the score 3-3 on a solo home run to left field in the fourth.
- Hayden White launched a solo home run to left field and a run came home on a wild pitched to give the Statesmen a 5-3 lead in the fifth.
- An Ehrhard RBI ground out in the fifth trimmed the Delta State advantage to 5-4.
- JD Urso's RBI single up the middle tied the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the sixth.
- A Barlow solo home run gave the Statesmen a 6-5 lead in the top of the seventh.
- An Ehrhard excuse-me bunt single in the seventh tied the game, 6-6.
- Urso scored when Jose Cadenas reached on a fielder's choice that gave Tampa a 7-6 lead. 
ON THE MOUND
	- Jackson Rutledge (2-1) gave up one run on two hit with two strikeouts to take the loss for the Statesmen.
- Jordan Leasure (2-1) worked three innings with four strikeouts while allowing a run on one hit to earn the win for Tampa.
- TJ Childree worked two-thirds of an inning with a strikeout in relief of the Statesmen.  
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
	- The Statesmen hit two home runs and now have 71 round trippers on the season, ranking first in the GSC and 18th nationally.
- Barlow's two home runs moved to give him 19 on the year and into a tie for fifth with Zack Shannon on DSU's single season home list. The Jonesville, La., product moved into seventh on the DSU career home run list with 32 total.
- Delta State spun a pair of double plays to stretch their GSC and NCAA leading number to 46.
UP NEXT
The Statesmen play the winner of game between No. 1 seed West Florida and No. 6 seed Shorter University on Friday, May 28 at 7 p.m. in an elimination game.