CLEVELAND, Miss. – The East Central University baseball team split the opening games of the 2020 season at No. 11 Delta State, falling 14-3 in the opener and then claiming a 4-3 victory.

Game 2 – ECU 4, No. 11 DSU 3
ECU Lineup

1. Sr. Hayden George (2B)
2. Jr. Eric Towsley (SS)
3. Fr. Colton Schaper-Kotter (1B)
4. Fr. Christian Whitaker (DH)
        Sr. Cordell Powie (PH/DH)
5. So. Tanner Barnes (C)
6. Sr. Gabriel Simons (CF)
7. Fr. Murphy Bostick (RF)
8. Fr. Mason Glowacki (3B)
9. Jr. Dillon Mansell (LF)
   Jr. Spencer Johnston (P – CG)

DSU Lineup

1. Chad Ragland (CF/LF)
2. Jake Barlow (2B)
3. CJ Estave (DH)
4. Wyatt Pratt (3B)
5. Blake Wolferding (LF/RF)
6. Hayden White (1B)
7. Will Myers (RF)
        Patrick Hodges (PH)
        Kevin Granger (CF)
8. Jared Cramer (C)
9. Darek Sargent (SS)
   Jackson Rutledge (P)
        Kole Kittrell (P)
        Tanner Prost (P)

Of Record

• Winning Pitcher: S. Johnston (1-0)
• Losing Pitcher: J. Rutledge (0-1)

Scoring

• DSU 3^rd – 1 Run, 1 Hit, 1 Error, 0 Left on Base (ECU 0, DSU 1)
• ECU 5^th – E. Towsley reached on fielder's choice; H. George advanced to second, advanced to third on error; D. Mansell advanced to third, scored on the error, unearned; M. Glowacki scored on E1, unearned (ECU 2, DSU 1)
• ECU 5^th – C. Bowie reached on dropped fly by RF, SF, RBI; C. Schaper-Kotter advanced to second on the error; E. Towsley advanced to third on the error; H. George scored, unearned (ECU 3, DSU 1)
• ECU 5^th – G. Simons singled to LF, RBI; C. Bowie advanced to second; C. Schaper-Kotter advanced to third; E. Towsley scored, unearned (ECU 4, DSU 1)
• DSU 5^th – 2 Runs, 2 Hits, 1 Error, 0 Left on Base (ECU 4, DSU 3)

Game 1 – No. 11 DSU 14, ECU 3
ECU Lineup

1. Sr. Hayden George (2B)
2. Sr. Gabriel Simons (CF)
3. Fr. Colton Schaper-Kotter (1B)
4. Sr. Dylan Lang (C)
        So. Anderson Allen (PR)
5. Jr. Dillon Mansell (LF)
6. So. Drew Reed (DH)
        Fr. Britton Sperry (PR)
7. Fr. Murphy Bostick (RF)
        So. Garrett Lemons (PH)
8. Fr. Mason Glowacki (3B)
        Sr. Cordell Bowie (PH)
9. Jr. Eric Towsley (SS)
   Sr. Jonny Chavez (P)
        So. Breydan Jackson (P)
        Sr. Cody Franks (P)
        Fr. Brian Pasha (P)

DSU Lineup

1. Chad Ragland (CF)
2. Jake Barlow (2B)
3. CJ Estave (C)
        Bradley Sanford (C)
4. Josh Smeltzer (DH)
5. Wyatt Pratt (3B)
6. Hayden White (1B)
7. Will Myers (RF)
8. Blake Wolferding (LF)
        Kevin Granger (PH)
9. Darek Sargent (SS)
   Hunter Riggins (P)
        Matthew Sneed (P)
        Patrick Hodges (P)

Of Record

• Winning Pitcher: H. Riggins (1-0)
• Losing Pitcher: J. Chavez (0-1)

Scoring

• DSU 1^st – 3 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 Left on Base (ECU 0, DSU 3)
• DSU 2^nd – 1 Run, 1 Hit, 0 Errors, 3 Left on Base (ECU 0, DSU 4)
• DSU 3^rd – 2 Runs, 2 Hits, 2 Errors, 2 Left on Base (ECU 0, DSU 6)
• DSU 5^th – 2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 Left on Base (ECU 0, DSU 8)
• ECU 6^th – D. Mansell reached on a fielder's choice, RBI; D. Lang out at second; C. Schaper-Kotter advanced to third; G. Simons scored (ECU 1, DSU 8)
• ECU 6^th – D. Reed singled to RF, RBI; D. Mansell advanced to third; C. Schaper-Kotter scored (ECU 2, DSU 8)
• ECU 6^th – C. Bowie reached on a fielder's choice; G. Lemons advanced to second; B. Sperry advanced to third; D. Mansell scored on E5, unearned (ECU 3, DSU 8)
• DSU 6^th – 6 Runs, 6 Hits, 0 Errors, 3 Left on Base (ECU 3, DSU 14)

Tiger Quick Hits

• The win is the first in the all-time series against Delta State
  • DSU leads 5-1 overall and 4-1 when playing on the road
  • First time since 2018 that the Tigers (1-1) earned a win in the opening weekend
  • First win over a ranked opponent for head coach Lloyd Gage
• Sr. Hayden George and Sr. Dylan Lang led the team at the plate
  • George: .333 batting avg., 1 run, 2 hits, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 3-of-3 SB, 6 putouts, 3 assisted outs
  • Lang: 1 GP/GS, .333 batting avg., 1 hit, 1 double, 1 BB, 4 putouts
• Jr. Dillon Mansell had a team high 2 runs
  • Added 1 hit, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2-of-2 SB, 2 putouts
• Sr. Gabriel Simons, So. Drew Reed and Sr. Cordell Bowie all earned an RBI
• Jr. Spencer Johnston claimed his first win on the mound in his first career appearance
  • 1.29 ERA, 1 CG, 7.0 IP, 6 hits and 3 runs (1 earned) allowed, 1 BB, 9 K, .240 opponent batting avg.

Up Next

• The teams will wrap up the three-game series, Sunday, Feb. 2
  • Single game at 1 p.m.
• The Tigers will then open the season at Ken Turner Field
  • Feb. 7-8 vs. Drury
    • Friday, Feb. 7 – 12 p.m.
    • Saturday, Feb. 8 – Doubleheader starting at 12 p.m.