CLEVELAND, Miss. — The University of West Florida secured two thrilling victories over Delta State University on Saturday, winning 16-13 in the first game and 10-8 in the second game of their doubleheader.
Game 1
West Florida secured a 10-8 victory over Delta State University in the first game, capitalizing on five Statesmen errors and a four-run seventh inning to edge out the win. Delta State scored first in the opening inning.
In the fourth inning,
Gustavo Mendez put West Florida on the board with a solo home run to center field. However, the Statesmen responded with three runs, including a two-run homer, extending its lead to 4-1.
The Argos narrowed the gap in the sixth inning as Mendez singled to shortstop, allowing
Zack Stokes to score following an error, bringing the score to 4-2. The seventh inning saw a turnaround as West Florida capitalized on errors and timely hitting.
William Lybrook walked with the bases loaded, scoring
Greg Pettay.
Trent Kelly followed with a two-RBI single, and
Tanner Taylor added another run with a single, pushing the Argos ahead 6-4.
In the eighth inning,
Alex Urias singled and later scored on a Lybrook single, increasing the Argos' lead to 7-4. Delta State answered with two runs, cutting West Florida's lead to 7-6. West Florida sealed the game in the ninth inning, scoring three runs with Stokes driving in two with a single. Delta State managed two runs in the bottom of the ninth but fell short as the Argos secured a 10-8 victory.
Game 2
The Argonauts jumped out to an early lead with 10 runs in the first two innings, which included three home runs.
Zack Stokes homered to right field for the initial run.
William Lybrook then doubled, and
Gustavo Mendez followed with an RBI double.
Tyler Brobst added a solo home run, and
Trent Kelly grounded out, allowing Mendez to score on a throwing error. The Argonauts concluded the inning with a 4-0 lead.
In the second inning, UWF continued its momentum. Stokes hit his second home run of the day, bringing the score to 5-0. Mendez singled, and after an error and a single by Brobst, Mendez scored again.
Ethan Babcock contributed with a two-RBI single, and
Alex Urias capped the inning with a two-RBI double. By the end of the inning, UWF led 10-0.
UWF added three more runs in the third inning. After Lybrook walked and Mendez singled, Kelly walked, loading the bases. Brobst grounded out, driving in Lybrook. Kelly and Mendez both scored on a wild pitch and a groundout, respectively. Delta State responded with three unearned runs, narrowing the gap to 13-3. In the fourth inning, UWF's Stokes walked and eventually scored on an RBI single by Kelly, extending their lead to 14-3. Both teams went scoreless in the fifth inning, maintaining the score at 14-3.
The Statesmen clawed back in the sixth inning with four runs tightening the game to 14-7. The seventh inning saw more scoring from both sides. UWF's Kelly doubled and scored on a single by Brobst.
Hudson Spencer reached on a fielder's choice and later scored on a single by
Zack DeJesus. Delta State answered with six runs, including a three-run homer, bringing the score to 16-13.
Tucker Ricks delivered a strong start for the Argonauts, pitching 5 innings and allowing no earned runs with 4 strikeouts. Despite allowing 5 hits, Ricks demonstrated control with only 1 walk over 86 pitches, earning the win.
West Florida will return on Tuesday, March 3, against Spring Hill at 5 p.m. at Jim Spooner Field.
