Delta State Walks it off against ACU
By: Lance Fleming
Updated: March 11, 2012
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.
