OXFORD, Ala. — The Delta State Baseball team punched its ticket to the Gulf South Conference Championship on Monday evening, rallying past Lee University, 5-4, in a tightly contested semifinal at Choccolocco Park.
The Statesmen (31-20) used timely hitting and dominant relief pitching to erase an early deficit and secure the program's spot in the title game against West Florida.
Lee (36-16) struck first and held a 4-2 advantage through five innings, but Delta State answered in the bottom half of the fifth. With a runner aboard,
Levi Lang delivered the biggest swing of the night, launching a two-run home run to left field to even the score at 4-4.
Delta State continued to apply pressure, and in the seventh inning,
Tucker Jones sparked the go-ahead rally. After reaching base and advancing into scoring position, Jones came around to score on an RBI single from Lang, giving the Statesmen their first lead of the game at 5-4.
On the mound, the Statesmen leaned on a strong bullpen performance to close things out. After
Colby Lafayette worked the first four innings,
Dawson Muenzenmay (6-2) was lights out in relief. The right-hander tossed five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out five to earn the win and shut down the Flames down the stretch.
Offensively, Jones led the way with three runs scored, while Lang finished with a game-high four RBIs on a 2-for-3 performance, including the pivotal home run and go-ahead hit.
Lee threatened late, putting runners on in the eighth, but Muenzenmay escaped the jam and retired the side in order in the ninth to seal the victory.
With the win, Delta State advances to the Gulf South Conference Championship, where the Statesmen will take on West Florida with a title on the line. First pitch is set for Tuesday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
(CT). The Statesmen will need to win two tomorrow to win their 16
th conference championship in program history.
