OXFORD, Ala. — The Delta State University baseball team used a big middle-inning surge to rally past Trevecca Nazarene, 9-6, on Monday morning at Choccolocco Park, advancing in the Gulf South Conference Tournament.

The Statesmen (30-20) fell behind early after Trevecca Nazarene plated five runs in the third inning, but Delta State answered immediately and never looked back.

After getting on the board in the second inning on a sacrifice fly from Bo Rock, DSU faced a 5-1 deficit heading into the fourth. That's when the momentum shifted. Levi Lang sparked the inning with a double before Cade Greer and Austin Batts delivered key hits. Rock then provided the biggest swing of the game, driving in three runs with an inside-the-park home run to tie the game at 5-5.

Delta State continued to apply pressure, taking the lead in the fifth inning on an RBI double from Greer. The Statesmen added two more runs in the sixth behind a two-run single from Tucker Jones and tacked on an insurance run in the seventh to build a 9-6 advantage.

On the mound, Ryan Herbison was strong in relief, earning the win after tossing 5.1 innings and allowing just two runs while striking out three. Dawson Muenzenmay closed the door, recording the final four outs to pick up his sixth save of the season.

Offensively, Cade Greer led the way with a 2-for-4 performance, scoring twice and driving in a run, while Rock finished with a game-high four RBIs. Jones also added two RBIs for the Statesmen as part of a nine-hit effort.

Delta State will return to action later today and will take on the loser of Lee and West Florida at approximately 6:00 p.m. at Choccolocco Park.