OXFORD, Ala. -- The Delta State University baseball team (26-15) scored 11 runs in the third inning on the way to a 13-2 run-rule win over No. 1 seed Lee University (33-8, GSC) in the 2021 Gulf South Conference Tournament on Saturday at Choccolocco Park.
Blayke Dendy drove in five runs, including a grand slam and an RBI double, to highlight the 11-run third inning.
Josh Smeltzer and
Jake Barlow had RBI doubles, and
Chad Ragland drove in two runs with a double to left field in the inning.
THE BASICS
FINAL: #5 Delta State 13 | #1 Lee University 1 (7)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, May 8, 2021
START: 9:58 p.m. |
TOG: 2:08
LOCATION: Choccolocco Park | Oxford, Ala.
RECORDS: Statesmen: 26-15 | Flames 33-8
SERIES: Delta State leads 13-9
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Ryan Beamish hit a solo home run gave Lee a 1-0 lead in the second inning.
- The Statesmen loaded the bases in the bottom of the second but only managed to score a run on a Darek Sargent sac-fly.
- Delta State sent 14 batters to the plate and scored 11 runs on six hits, including four doubles and a grand slam home run to take a 12-1 lead in the fourth. Dendy had belted the grand slam and had an RBI double. Smeltzer and Jake Barlow had RBI doubles and Ragland drove in two runs with a double to left field.
- Wyatt Pratt walked and scored on a Ragland sac-fly to left field to extend the lead to 13-1 in the fourth.
- Lee's Alan Smith doubled home a run to cut the deficit to 13-2 in the top of the sixth.
ON THE MOUND
- Christian Day (7-2) yielded a pair of runs on six hits with two strikeouts to earn the win.
- Seth Konkel (5-2) gave up fourth runs on three hits with three walks and four strikeouts to take the loss for the Flames.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Day earned his fifth straight win and sixth win in his last seven starts on the mound for the Statesmen.
- Delta State ran its GSC tournament winning streak to seven, dating back to winning five straight to win the 2019 title.
- Dendy and Chad Ragland combined to drive in eight of the Statesmen 13 runs.
- In DSU's 11-run third, five of the six hits went for extra bases that saw Lee's pitchers combine for 57 pitches in the inning.
- After giving up a solo home run in the second inning, Christian Day retired 13 Flames in a row before allowing the next base runner.
- The Statesmen improved to 5-5 against nationally ranked teams in 2021 following the win over No. 8/10 Lee.
UP NEXT
Delta State plays the game on Sunday at approximately 7 p.m. against an opponent to be determined.