Video: Delta State Baseball Advances to NCAA DII College World Series

May 23, 2017

CLEVELAND, Miss. (WCBI/DSU Athletics) – Jamell Newson‘s RBI double highlighted a two-run top of the 10^th to help No. 2 Delta State University (44-11) claim the NCAA Division II South Region Championship with a 4-3 win over the University of West Alabama (38-21) to punch their ticket to the College World Series on Monday at Harvey Stadium-Ferriss Field.

Final Score: No. 2 Delta State 6 | West Alabama 4 (10 inn.)
Date/Time: Saturday, May 20, 2017 | Start 1:00 p.m. | TOG 3:36
Location: Cleveland, Miss, | Harvey Stadium-Ferriss Field
Records: Statesmen 44 -11 | Tigers 38-21
Series: Series tied 90-42

HOW IT HAPPENED

Clay Casey and Josh Russell singled and Nick Morgan was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out in the second. Justin Nussbaum singled home Casey and Russell and Morgan scored on a throwing error. Jason Popovich singled to score Nussbaum to give the Statesmen a 4-0 lead.
West Alabama scored a run in the second, fourth and seventh innings to cut the DSU lead to 4-3. Marcus Morrisette homered to right in the second and Taylor Stafford hit a solo home run in the fourth. Nick Delgado walked and scored on a Luke Phillips single.
West Alabama tied the game 4-4 in the top of the ninth. Delgado singled and scored when Luke Phillips single was misplayed in the outfield to force extra innings.
The Green-and-White broke the tie with two runs in the top of the 10^th. Shannon and scored on a Jamell Newson double to left center and Josh Russell doubled to center to score Newson.
West Alabama threatened in the bottom of the 10^th. Morrisette singled to lead off the inning and was erased when Ellis and Nussbaum combined on a 4-6-3 double play. Winningham singled and moved to third when Brock Montgomery’s fly ball fell between Newson and Nussbaum. Montgomery got thrown out by Morgan trying dive back into first to end the game on Montgomery single.

ON THE MOUND

Osbon (7-1) allowed one run on six hits with a strikeout in three innings of work to pick up the win.
Peyton White yielded a run on two hits with a strikeout, tossing 2.2 innings pitched in relief of starter Corey Beard. Beard left the game after 4.1 innings and four strikeouts when he was hit by a line drive.
Seth Holbert (5-3) worked 9.1 innings, allowing six runs, five earned, on 11 hits with six strikeouts.

NOTEABLES

Shannon (1B), Ellis (2B), Popovich (OF), Brian Lane (DH) and Tre Hobbs (P) were named to the NCAA Division II South Region All-Tournament.
Delta State earned its 12^th regional title and school history and the sixth under Head Coach Mike Kinnison.
Shannon’s 10^th inning single extended his hitting streak to 18 games and his reached base streak to 49 games.
Ellis went 2-for-4 with an RBI to extend his reached base streak to 28 games.
Russell led the Statesmen by going 3-for-5 with double and one RBI.
Casey had a single and has reached base in 39 straight games.
Popovich had a hit to extend his hitting streak to nine games.
The Green-and-White improved to 34-1 when leading after seven innings and to 27-3 when scoring first.
Delta State had 12 hits to record double figure hits for the 32^nd time this season.

UP NEXT

The Statesmen advance to play Lindenwood (Mo) University in the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Ballpark in Grand Prairie, Texas.