CLEVELAND, Mississippi – The second-seeded and host Delta State Statesmen erased an early 1-0 deficit to the Embry-Riddle Eagles on Thursday night, scoring five unanswered runs to down ERAU, 5-1 in both team's NCAA II South Region II Tournament opener. DSU (40-12) out-hit the Eagles (29-21) 10-7 and Hunter Riggins held the Eagles scoreless over the final seven innings.
Embry-Riddle falls to the loser's bracket and will take on Sunshine State Conference foe Eckerd at 3:30 p.m. (CT) | 4:30 p.m. (ET) tomorrow in an elimination game. Delta State advances to take on GSC rival Valdosta State tomorrow at 12 p.m. (CT) | 1 p.m. (ET). Should the Eagles win tomorrow's elimination game versus the Tritons they would play again at 7 p.m. (CT) | 8 p.m. (ET) in another elimination game against the loser of Friday's first contest.
Cole Habig collected the first-ever NCAA postseason hit for the Blue and Gold in the top of the first, but ERAU couldn't bring him in, leaving him at second base. Naab returned the favor in the bottom of the first by stranding the leadoff DSU batter after he reached on a single.
Embry-Riddle got on the scoreboard first in the second after
Kirk Sidwell singled to start the frame before
Zach Howard doubled to left center to put runners at second and third with no outs.
John Devine plated Sidwell with an RBI groundout, but that's all the Eagles would get in the inning.
The home team took the lead in the third, scoring twice, including a run on a leadoff homer and later a tally on a wild pitch that made it 2-1 DSU.
Naab and Riggins matched zeroes in the fourth, and the Eagles did nothing against Riggins in the fifth, but Delta State put together three hits in the last of the fifth, scoring twice to extend the lead to 4-1.
Habig recorded his second hit of the game in the sixth, but was again stranded on the basepaths. Naab was chased in the DSU sixth after a double and grounder moved the runner to third.
Dominic Jeancola entered and a sac fly pushed across the fifth Statesmen run of the contest before Jeancola got out of the inning without any further damage.
Jeancola left a pair of DSU runners on in the seventh, and in the top of the eighth ERAU put together its biggest threat since the second when
Kyle Guttveg and
Cole Habig hit back-to-back singles with one out.
ERAU went 1-2-3 in the ninth as Riggins registered his third consecutive complete game for Delta State.
Naab (8-3) took the loss in 5.1 innings of work, allowing five runs on seven hits with six strikeouts. Jeancola tossed the final 2.2 innings, scattering three hits without allowing a run.
Habig finished 3-for-4, while both Sidwell and Howard had a pair of hits for the Eagles.
ERAU will meet up with Eckerd at 3:30 p.m (CT) | 4:30 p.m. (ET). The Tritons swept the Eagles back in April at Sliwa Stadium.
