CLEVELAND, Miss. – Seventh-ranked Delta State scored single runs in both the eighth and ninth innings Sunday to rally for a 7-6 win over ACU and a series victory at Ferriss Field.
The win pushes the Statesmen to 12-3, while the Wildcats fall to 12-9 on the season. ACU will be back in action Friday and Saturday with a three-game Lone Star Conference series at Incarnate Word in San Antonio.
The Wildcats rallied from a 5-1 deficit to score two runs in the third, two more in the sixth and the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh.
In the third,
Travis Schuetze singled to left-centerfield to drive in
Kevin Finklea, and Schuetze later came around to score on an error. In the sixth inning,
Reed Watson drove in two runs with a home run to left-centerfield to make it 5-5.
ACU then took a one-run lead in the seventh when Finklea led off the top of the inning with a home run to left field.
With a one-run lead, ACU head coach
Britt Bonneau went to his bullpen for his closer,
Josh Stone, but he couldn't hold the lead. Chad Fortenberry led the inning off with a double to left center field. Then with one out Kidd sent a base hit into left center field that scored pinch-runner Morris Grant for the game tying run.
After a 1-2-3 top of the ninth, the Statesmen came to plate with a chance to win the game. Jordan Chovanec led off the ninth by legging out an infield single. After Chovanec stole second, Justin Badon came through with a game winning double into right field. The extra base hit scored Chovanec, and let the Statesmen come away with a 7-6 win.
Stone was saddled with the loss as he fell to 3-2 on the season.
Aaron Lambrix was spectacular in middle relief, hurling five scoreless innings and giving up just four hits and nothing else while striking out three Statesmen.
