OXFORD, Ala. — On the penultimate day of the 2023 Gulf South Conference Baseball Championship, No. 7 Lee was eliminated by top-seeded West Florida, 11-2, while No. 8 Delta State outlasted No. 4 Valdosta State, 10-9, in 11 innings.
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
With three teams remaining, the final day of action from Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Ala., will see an opening round rematch between West Florida face Delta State at 11 am CT, with the winner advancing to the title game to face Valdosta State. The Blazers advanced to the championship game as being the last team to suffer a loss.
Fans unable to enjoy the action at Choccolocco Park stream every pitch live on FloSports. For more information visit gscsports.org/bsb23.
WEST FLORIDA 11, LEE 2
The Argonauts powered past defending tournament champion, Lee, with a 13-4 advantage in the hit column. Seven different UWF batters recorded a hit, including five with two or more, highlighted by Dean Hortz who was 3-for-4 with four RBI. The Flames meanwhile were led by Dylan Standifer who was 3-for-4 at the plate.
Jackson Grabsky scored the game’s opening run on a wild pitch in the second, before Trent Jeffcoat logged a RBI to give West Florida a 2-0 lead after two innings. Then in fourth, Jeffcoat drove another run making it 3-1.
The Argos pulled away in the sixth as Darrien McDowell drew a bases loaded walk to make it 4-2, before Hortz belted a grand slam, giving a UWF an 8-2 advantage. Tyler Dowdy provided the final two runs for the Argonauts in the eighth with a RBI-double. UWF also scored in the seventh in as Josh Prizina drove in Jadon Fryman.
Lee stayed close early as Luke Hughes scored in the third on a wild pitch, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Then in fifth with the Flames down 3-1, until Standifer singled to right to Josiah Miller.
DELTA STATE 10, VALDOSTA STATE 9 (11 INN)
The Statesmen scored seven unanswered runs and used extra innings to knock off the Blazers. Delta State were on the short side on a 15-12 disadvantage in the hit column with had five different batters finish with two hits apiece. VSU meanwhile had seven hitters with two-hit performances.
Trailing 9-3 after the three innings, the Statesmen chopped the deficit to one with a five-run fifth. Hayden Cooper began the rally with a two-run home run before Brett Burrell scored on a balk to make it 9-6. The frame eventually came to end after Cobb and Woodcock came around to score. In the home half of the eighth, DSU tied the game, 9-9, with a McCauley home run. Kirkland Trahan then accounted for the winning run as the result of a balk.
Valdosta State raced out to a dominating advantage early plating four runs in each of the first two innings as it led 8-2 after the second.