Box Score BOX SCORE
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The University of Alabama in Huntsville dropped its first Gulf South Conference series of the season on Sunday, falling to No. 11 Delta State in the rubber game by a score of 5-1 at Charger Park. The two teams split the first two games of the series on Saturday.
After the day, the Chargers fall to 8-12 on the year and 1-2 in the Gulf South Conference while the Statesmen improve to 10-2 overall and 2-1 in league play.
UAH couldn't figure out the Statesmen's starting pitcher Aaron Newcomb, who threw an impressive complete-game. Newcomb stayed undefeated on the season at 3-0, working 9.0 innings and allowing one unearned run on five hits while fanning 12 Chargers and walking just one on the day.
The Chargers' senior David Kendrick (2-2) started on the hill, working 7.2 innings in which he allowed five runs – four earned – on nine hits, while walking one and striking out four. Junior Willard Bacon worked the remaining 1.1 innings in relief of Kendrick, allowing just one hit and notching two strikeouts.
The Statesmen opened the scoring in the top of the first inning. After a single and fielding error by the centerfielder allowed Sam Kidd to reach second base, Ben Kingsley hit a single up the middle to score Kidd.
DSU added a single run in both the third and fourth frames to give the Statesmen a 3-0 advantage.
A leadoff single from DSU's Jonathan Andrews in the fifth helped cushion the Statesmen's lead as Andrews scored on a groundout by Kidd in the very next at-bat, making the score 4-0.
Kendrick saw his day come to an end with two outs in the top of the eighth inning after giving up one more run to DSU in the top of the eighth inning, as the Statesmen lead was extended to 5-0.
In the bottom of the eighth, UAH's junior Justin Pearson and sophomore Justin Riddle legged out back-to-back doubles to score the first run of the game for the Chargers with no outs. Unfortunately, Riddle was stranded on second as the next three batters went down in order. UAH headed to the ninth trailing 5-1, which would end up being the final score.
The Chargers had runners on first and second twice early in the game with two outs, in the first and third innings, but the Blue and White couldn't come up with a hit to move the runners over. UAH finished the contest with seven runners left on base.
Up next, UAH travels to Memphis, Tenn., for a three-game conference series against Christian Brothers on March 10-11. First pitch in game one on Saturday is slated for 1 p.m. CST, and will be immediately followed by game two, with game three scheduled to be played on Sunday at noon.
