Argos Win Clash with Delta State at Regionals

May 17, 2007

May 17, 2007

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - The post season surge for #23 West Florida (42-17, No. 5 seed) continues. The Argonauts used an eighth inning rally to upend #20 Delta State (44-15, No. 2 seed) this morning, 4-3, in game one of the NCAA II South Central Regional. Brett McCullough tossed his fifth complete game of the season to lead the Argos to victory. McCullough picked up a school record 12th win of the season. West Florida will play tomorrow at 4 p.m. against the winner of the Montevallo vs. St. Edward's game today at 4 p.m.

Delta State got off to good start in the first inning off McCullough (Cantonment, Fla. / Tate HS). Hunter Jobes led off the bottom of the first with a homer to right field to give DSU a 1-0 lead. Jobes led off with a homer in the GSC Tournament game against UWF on May 7.

The Argonauts tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth inning. Jason Kohl (Cedar Rapids, Iowa / Pensacola JC) led off with a bunt single and advanced to second on a throwing error by third baseman Patrick Williams. Kohl scored easily on a double to left field by Bo Williams (Ocala, Fla. / Pensacola JC) off DSU starter Brett Durand.

Jobes struck again when he connected with a double down the right field line with one out in the bottom of the fifth. He advanced to third on a passed ball. Jobes scored on a sacrifice fly by Williams to put DSU on top, 2-1.

West Florida answered in the top of the eighth. Daniel Jones (Wetumpka, Ala. / Gulf Coast CC) led off with a double to right center field. Peter Antoske (Olmsted Township, Ohio / St. Edward HS) singled through the left side to put runners at the corners. Jones was nearly picked off third by catcher Ricky Noland, but Williams muffed the throw. Jason Kohl was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Durand struck out Williams, but Clay Wallace (Bay Minette, Ala. / Faulkner State CC) hit a sacrifice fly to center that was deep enough to score Jones. The Statesmen defense fell apart and UWF jumped on DSU to take their first lead of the game. A passed ball on Noland allowed Antoske and Kohl to advance to second and third. A throwing error by Noland allowed both Antoske and Kohl to score, as UWF went ahead, 4-2. All three runs scored in the inning by the Argos were unearned.

Delta State got back to work in the bottom of the eighth. With one out, Williams tripled down the right field line. He scored on a ground out by Clay Sartain, and UWF led 4-3 after eight innings.

In the bottom of the ninth, DSU put the lead off runner on first when Jareck West singled to left. West Advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Chris Clark. McCullough got Devin Goodwin to pop out to Jones at second base. Pinch hitter Brent Davidson flew out to left field to seal the win.

McCullough allowed three runs, two earned on seven hits with one walk and two strikeouts. The Argos had just four hits off Durand. Durand also pitched a complete game. He allowed one earned run, with five walks and six strikeouts.

Follow tomorrow's game using "Live Audio" and "Live Stats" at goargos.com.