CLEVELAND, Miss. - No. 15 Delta State Univesity Baseball rode a dominant pitching performance and timely situational hitting to secure a 2-1 victory over No. 22 West Florida on Friday evening at Harvey Stadium-Ferriss Field.

The Statesmen improved their early-season momentum behind a strong outing from left-hander Adrian Byrd, who earned the win to move to 3-0 on the year. Byrd tossed seven shutout innings, allowing just four hits while striking out four and walking none.

Delta State broke through in the third inning to take an early lead. After Brady Hendrix worked a walk and advanced on a fielder's choice, the Statesmen manufactured a run as Tucker Jones lined a two-out RBI single down the left field line to plate Austin Estes for a 1-0 advantage.

The game remained a pitcher's duel into the late innings, with both teams struggling to generate offense. Delta State managed just four hits in the contest but capitalized on opportunities with aggressive baserunning. The Statesmen swiped multiple bases throughout the game, including stolen bases from Jones, Cade Greer, and Jacob Hill to apply pressure on West Florida.

Delta State added a crucial insurance run in the eighth inning after Greer drew a walk and moved into scoring position before advancing to third on a single from Walker Maranto. Moments later, Greer crossed the plate on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 2-0.

West Florida threatened in the ninth, cutting the deficit to one after an RBI double, but Delta State closer Dawson Muenzenmay shut the door, recording the final outs to earn his third save of the season.

Ryan Herbison worked a scoreless eighth inning in relief to bridge the gap between Byrd and Muenzenmay.

Jones led the Statesmen offensively with two hits and the lone RBI, while Greer scored once and reached base twice.

Delta State's pitching staff held West Florida to just one run on six hits and did not issue a walk, preserving the narrow victory in conference play.

The series concludes with a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 28 at Harvey Stadium-Ferriss Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.