CLEVELAND, Tenn. - Visiting Delta State University scored a pair of runs in the top of the ninth inning and then came back to tally what turned out to be the winning run in the top half of the 10th inning for a 4-3 victory over Lee University at Larry Carpenter Stadium on Friday afternoon.
The three-game GSC series will resume on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. with a doubleheader. Delta State is 1-0 in league play and 3-2 overall. Lee drops to 0-1, 6-1.
Dawson Muenzenmay turned in an amazing two-inning performance on the mound and at the plate in the win for the Statesmen. He pitched two innings of no-hit ball, did not walk a man and struck out four Flames. He came on to also star at the plate, delivering an RBI single that scored Levi Lang with the winning run in the top of the 10th.
Lee led the contest 3-1 but the Statesmen came back with one out in the ninth. Lang was hit by a pitch and Bo Rock doubled to score pinch runner Peyton Badon. Cael Allen came on as a pinch hitter and reached on an error that scored pinch runner Cole Thompson, who tallied all the way from second to tie the game at three. This set up the heroic performance by Muenzenmay.
The Statesmen victory ended a disappointing performance by Flames pitcher Evan Bloomer. The right-hander hurled eight innings. He gave up four hits, one earned run, struck out seven and walked one.
Lee ran into trouble with relief pitching. Bryce Hawkins worked two-thirds of an inning. He gave up two hits, one earned run and was charged with the defeat. Cody Turner was called on for 1.1 innings. The lefty allowed two hits, an earned run, gave up two free passes and struck out one.
Landon Franklin was the only Lee player with two hits. He doubled and scored a run. JJ Williams singled and picked up an RBI. Isaiah French tripled and scored. Nate Caraballo picked up a one-base hit and had an RBI. Keilin Sanders had a hit and scored a run while Ryan Valdes had the other hit for the Flames.
Lee also had trouble against Delta State starter and two others who worked in relief. Adrian Byrd pitched seven innings of five-hit ball. He allowed two earned runs, fanned 11 and walked one. Alex McHale pitched an inning and surrendered two hits and an earned run. Muenzenmay had two strikeouts and did not allow a run in two innings. All totaled, the Statesmen pitching struck out 16 Lee batters and walked just one.
Cade Greer had two hits and scored two runs for Delta State. Rock was the only other Statesmen with a pair of hits. He also knocked in a run. Grady Hendrix and Walter Maranto hit safely in the victory.
Coach Mark Brew's thoughts:
"We simply just didn't finish the game like we wanted to and wasted an incredible pitching performance by Evan Bloomer. We need to be able to come out tomorrow and play cleaner overall and find a way to get the bats going and minimize the strikeouts."
