MILLINGTON, Tenn.
– The long ball
derailed the
fifth-ranked
University of West
Alabama’s chances of
advancing in the
2009 Gulf South
Conference Baseball
Tournament as UWA
(37-14) falls 8-6 to
the ninth-ranked
Delta State on
Wednesday afternoon
at USA Stadium.
Trailing 5-1, DSU
took its first lead
of the game on a
pair of three-run
homeruns in the
bottom of the fifth
inning. Devin
Goodwin logged the
first of the two
homers, sending a
shot over the left
field wall, scoring
Billy Ray Todd and
Stephen Oswald,
pulling the
Statesmen within one
run of the Tigers.
Four batters and two
outs later, Anthony
Palasini put the
Green and White up
with the second of
the three-run, round
trippers in the
inning, as he scored
Clay Sartain and
Michael Niemann.
Dallas Rogers pulled
UWA within one run
in the top of the
eighth, scoring as
the Statesmen caught
Rob Dahlberg trying
to advance to second
base. DSU answered
in the home half of
the inning by way a
solo, leadoff
homerun by Josh
Gordon.
UWA plated the first
runs of game scoring
three in the top of
the third inning.
After Jeremy Finney
crossed the dish on
a Brian Simone
sacrifice fly for
the first run of the
game, Nick Wheeler
followed with a
double to center
field to score
Dahlberg, giving the
Tigers an early 2-0
lead. Wheeler went
on to score the
final run of the
inning, as Kevin
Deese shot a base
hit up the middle.
DSU added its first
run in the bottom of
the inning as
Goodwin stole home,
as the Tigers missed
on an attempt to
erase Niemann
stealing second
base.
The Red and White
added two runs in
the fourth inning,
increasing its lead
to 5-1. Dahlberg
drove in Bryan Mason
for the Tigers
fourth run of the
contest. Brian
Simone then laced a
shot in the left
center, scoring
Dahlberg, but was
expunged trying to
stretch the double
into a triple for
the final out of the
inning.
Josh Varner (8-3)
was straddled with
the loss in three
innings on the mound
in relief. Varner
surrendered two runs
on three hits with
three strikeouts and
a walk. UWA starter
Colter Millican
tossed four innings,
allowing five runs
on six hits. Brian
Burgess completed
the final inning of
work on the bump,
allowing one run on
one hit and a walk.
DSU’s Jason Coats
(2-0) picked up the
win with five
innings in relief.
Coats gave up just
one run in 21
batters faced,
allowing five hits
with five strikeouts
and duo of walks.
Statesmen starter
Korey Cunningham
tossed four innings,
allowing five runs
on eight hits with
one punch-out in the
game.
West Alabama will
wait on the decision
of the NCAA Division
II Baseball
Committee about a
berth in the South
Regional. UWA
entered Wednesday’s
game as the No.
2-seed in the latest
region poll.
