Box Score

PENSACOLA, Fla.–The number one nationally ranked University of West Florida Baseball Team scored seven runs in the first two innings of action as they cruised to a 10-3 victory over fourth-seed Delta State, in the NCAA South Regional on Saturday morning at Jim Spooner Field. There was a two hour and 26-minute lightning delay and 22-minute power outage in the contest.
 
With the win, West Florida improves to 36-9 on the year and advances to Saturday's winner bracket against the third-seeded University of Tampa at 3 p.m. this afternoon.  DSU drops to 28-20 on the year and was eliminated from the regional with the defeat.
 
"I was really proud of our guys competitive spirit and their will in getting the job done", said UWF Head Coach Mike Jeffcoat.  "They answered the bell in having to play Delta State for the seventh time this season and still accepting it as a challenge and knowing we have to play well to get to where we want to go."
 
Adam Imwalle was a force for the Argonauts on the offensive side with four hits which led all players.  Justin Dunnam and Dylan Menhennett both had multi-hit games while five other Argos added a hit.  Imwalle and Dunnam each drove in two runs for the blue and green.  West Florida had 13 total hits, marking the 31^st time this season that the Argos collected 10 or more hits in a game. 
 
UWF received their second straight solid start on the mound as Tyler Dowdy threw a complete game, his second in three starts, allowing three runs on eight hits with three walks and six strikeouts.  It was also the fourth time in his last five starts that Dowdy has thrown at least seven innings.  Tyler collected his seventh win of the year while lowering his earned run average to 3.46 as he threw 123 pitches.
 
"I feel great, especially since we got the win", said Dowdy.  "It was great to come out and beat a great team in Delta State and for us to stay composed and stay locked in."
 
West Florida was the beneficiary of three DSU errors including one in the first inning where Statesmen starter had an errant throw on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Cullan O'Shea, allowing Miller Hancock to score from second and make it 1-0.  Two batters later, O'Shea would come home on a sacrifice fly by Imwalle to put the Argos up to a quick 2-0 advantage.
 
Following a single by Dunnam to advance Menhennett, who had walked earlier in the inning, Matthew Estrada hit a sacrifice fly to deep center field, allowing Menhennett to score.
 
After a bases loaded walk by the Statesmen in the bottom of the first, UWF went right back to work in the top of the second.  Jason Roberts led off the frame with a walk while back-to-back singles from True Fontenot and Hancock, plus another DSU error, gave the Argos a 4-1 advantage.  UWF added three more runs in the frame on a sacrifice fly from Menhennett, an RBI single from Imwalle with O'Shea scoring on a failed pickoff attempt. O'Shea launched his team-leading ninth home run of the year in the top of the sixth to continue building the lead.
 
The ninth home run for O'Shea tied nine other Argonauts, with Matt Sullivan being the most recent in 2019, for 10^th all-time in program history for home runs in a season.
 
Dowdy was able to take advantage of the six-run lead as the freshman was able to face only two batters over the minimum over the next four innings with two strikeouts. DSU did add a run in the bottom of the sixth on a single by Josh Smeltzer that scored Blayke Dendy, who doubled to lead off the inning and also a run in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single from Dendy.
 
West Florida was able tack on two more runs in the top of the eighth on a two-run double down the first base line to score Menhennett and Imwalle. 
 
For the latest on the UWF Baseball Team, please visit GoArgos.com or follow the team on Twitter @UWF_Baseball.