PENSACOLA, Fla. — The University of West Florida had a strong showing at the NCAA DII South Regional, securing two victories at Jim Spooner Field to stay alive and force the if necessary game. The Argonauts first claimed an 11-5 victory over Delta State University before following it up with a 6-4 win against Lee University.
Game one
West Florida opened the scoring against Delta State in the first inning when
Zack Stokes singled to left field, allowing
Tyler Brobst to score on a single by
Greg Pettay. The Argonauts continued to build their lead in the third inning, with Stokes again setting the tone with a single. Consecutive hits by Brobst and
William Lybrook brought Stokes home, and Pettay doubled down the left field line to drive in two more runs.
Alex Urias capped the inning with a two-RBI single, pushing West Florida's lead to 5-1.
The fifth inning saw Pettay walk and steal second before scoring on a single from Urias, increasing the lead to 6-2. The offensive surge continued in the sixth inning, where Stokes doubled and scored on a single by
Trent Kelly. Pettay and
Ethan Babcock both scored on a double by
Gustavo Mendez, who then scored on a single from Urias, solidifying the Argonauts' lead at 11-2. Delta State attempted a comeback in the seventh, scoring three runs, but West Florida ultimately held on to win 11-5.
Braden Rapp delivered a solid performance on the mound, pitching 7 innings with 9 hits, 4 earned runs, and 3 strikeouts, while not allowing any walks. He threw 70 strikes out of 99 pitches, maintaining his 8-0 win-loss record.
Blake Thomas provided a strong relief effort, pitching 2 innings with just 1 hit and 3 strikeouts.
Game two
In the following game against Lee University, West Florida took control early on, scoring four runs in the third inning.
Greg Pettay delivered a pivotal grand slam to left field, bringing home
Trent Kelly,
Tyler Brobst, and
Gustavo Mendez, who reached on a fielding error. This surge gave the Argonauts a 4-0 lead.
Lee responded in the fourth inning with a solo home run by Isaiah French. West Florida extended the lead in the sixth inning when
Zack Stokes scored on a wild pitch after doubling and advancing to third, making it 5-1. In the seventh inning,
Hudson Spencer singled up the middle to drive in
Alex Urias, who had advanced to third on a balk, giving the Argos a 6-1 advantage. Although Lee managed to score two unearned runs in the bottom half of the seventh and another run in the eighth with a sacrifice fly, West Florida maintained their lead to secure a 6-4 victory.
Elijah Roberts pitched 5 innings against Lee, allowing just two hits and one earned run with four strikeouts, throwing 69 pitches with 46 strikes and not issuing any walks.
Blake Thomas took over for 1.2 innings, recording four strikeouts despite giving up two runs on two hits, while
Micky Scheetz closed the game with 2.1 innings pitched, allowing one earned run and striking out two, earning his 15th save of the season. Tonight's save for Scheetz sets him as the new leader for saves in a single season for Argos baseball. Scheetz breaks the record that was previously held since 2007.
The Argos will face the Flames again tomorrow in the regional championship game at 1 p.m. at Jim Spooner Field.
