CLINTON, Miss. – Delta State earns a trip to the GSC Tournament with their two dramatic wins over Mississippi College. Game two of the series took two days to complete due to lightning and rain delays. The Statesmen took the lead in the final inning of game three and held on to punch their ticket to the postseason.
"We told our guys, 'It's win or go home.' I'm proud of the way they played," said head coach Rodney Batts. "Shorter and Lee were the final two seeds last year and they ended up playing for the whole thing. You get in, you get hot, and anything can happen."

INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final Game Two: Delta State 14 | Mississippi College 13
Final Game Three: Delta State 2 | Mississippi College 1
Location: Clinton, MS | Frierson Field at Dickins-Scoper Stadium
Records: Statesmen (24-24, 14-15 GSC) | Choctaws (16-33, 10-20 GSC)
Get Social: @DeltaStateBSB

HOW IT HAPPENED - GAME TWO

• Jonathan Dewberry led the game off with a single and advanced to second after Kirkland Trahan drew an HBP. A walk to Hayden Cooper loaded the bases with one out, but the Statesmen stranded all three runners. An error, a walk, and two hits including a three-run home run put the Choctaws up four. 4-0 MC after 1.
• Both teams went in order in the second inning. Dewberry was hit by a pitch to start the third and moved to second on a single by Brendan McCauley, but both were left on base. Six MC hits including two home runs in the third helped them push across five runs in their half of the third. 9-0 MC after 3.
• Noah Thigpen reached in the fourth on an error with one away. Matthew Nichols hit a ground-rule double into the MC bullpen to put both in scoring position just before Carson Clowers brought everyone in with a three-run homer to left. Josh Hill recorded three strikeouts in the bottom of the fourth. 9-3 MC after 4.
• Both teams again fell in order in the fifth. Nichols singled to right with two away in the sixth and moved to second as Clowers reached first safely on a bunt. Dewberry scored Nichols from second on a single to second in the next at-bat. MC added two more runs on four hits in the bottom of the sixth. 11-4 MC after 6.
• Trahan led the seventh with a single to right, followed by a one-out single by Eric Newsom to right. Trahan scored on a single by Brett Cobb in the next at-bat. Thigpen sent a homer halfway up the batter's eye in center to bring all three runs in. Clowers then drew a two-out walk, stole second, and moved to third on a wild pitch. Dewberry drew a four-pitch walk. McCauley singled to center to score Clowers, putting Delta State within two. Trahan drew another walk to load the bases and put the tying run at second base. Cooper then singled to left, scoring Dewberry and McCauley and tying the game at 11. Newsom gave the Statesmen the lead with a 2 RBI double to left center just before Cobb hit an RBI single to score Newsom. The game went into a lightning delay in the bottom of the seventh with the bases loaded and no outs for the Choctaws. 14-11 Delta State after day one.
• The Choctaws hit into a 6-3 double play to Sunday's half of game two but managed to score two of the runs in the bottom of the seventh. 14-13 Delta State after 7.
• Dewberry doubled with one away in the eighth but was left at third to end the inning. Noah Magee struck out two as the Choctaws fell in order in their half of the eighth.
• Delta State fell in order in the top of the ninth but was able to hold on for a season-saving win. 14-13 Delta State final.

HOW IT HAPPENED - GAME THREE

• Delta State fell in order as starter Drake Fontenot stranded an MC runner in the first. Both teams sent only three to the plate in the second inning. Dewberry was the first DSU baserunner in the third after drawing an HBP. MC stranded two in the bottom of the third. Tied 0-0 after 3.
• Cooper picked up the first DSU hit with a one-out double in the top of the fourth. A Choctaw runner reached first safely after an error, but overslide the second base bag and was tagged out in the bottom of the fourth. Both teams sent only three to the plate once more in the fifth inning. Dewberry drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third with two away, but was stranded there after a flyout. MC saw a leadoff walk come in to score the first run of the game in the bottom of the sixth. 1-0 MC after 6.
• Eric Newsom led the top of the seventh with a massive homer over the right field wall to tie the game at one. Cobb then drew a walk and advanced to second after a groundout. A sac fly by Nichols moved Cobb to third. Clowers hit a ball hard to the third baseman that was misplayed, allowing him to reach first and, more importantly, score the go-ahead run. MC put two runners on with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but Fontenot drew one last groundout to Nichols at third to seal the win for the Green and White. 2-1 Delta State final.

ON THE MOUND

• Game two starter Steven Lacey pitched the first 2.1 innings, allowing six runs (two earned) on four hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
• Cade Hodges faced three batters and allowed two runs on two hits.
• Josh Hill pitched 2.2 innings, allowing three runs on six hits. Hill also struck out six batters to just one walk.
• Kameron Koch (W, 2-3) pitched the next 0.2 innings, allowing two runs on three hits with a walk.
• Noah Magee (Save, 2) pitched the final 3.0 innings, allowing no runs or hits while striking out three to just one walk.
• Game three starter Drake Fontenot (W, 5-4) pitched all 7.0 innings of the game three win. He allowed just one run on six hits, striking out six while surrendering just one walk.

UP NEXT
The Statesmen open GSC Tournament play on Friday, May 5 at approximately 8:00 pm against the top-seeded West Florida Argonauts.