Pioneers Sweep #10 Erie CC

Auburndale, Florida – The Delta College baseball team made it three wins in a row on Friday, sweeping a double-header from Erie Community College by the scores of 18-8 and 11-2.  With the wins, Delta is now 6-6 on the season.

Erie took an early 1-0 in game one off of Delta starting pitcher Thomas Fortney but the Pioneers quickly responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame courtesy of a Dean Marais two-run blast to right field, his second of the season.  They added two more in the second to take a 4-1 lead. 

In the third inning, Delta would tack on six runs including a three-run homerun by Justin Jurek and a solo shot by Tyler Robbins.  The score would be 12-1 in the fifth when the Kats scored five runs on five hits to cut the lead to 12-6.  Ty Jones relieved Fortney on the hill and got a 6-4-3 double play and pop out to get out of the inning.

Delta scored a single run in the bottom of the frame while Erie scored two in the top of the sixth off of Jones to make it a 13-8 game heading into the bottom of the sixth.  But multiple Erie errors and a two-RBI triple by Derrek Clyde would give Delta the 18-8 mercy rule win.

Fortney evened his record at 1-1 on the year from the mound, surrendering five earned runs on eight hits while striking out seven.  Clyde (2-4, 3 RBI), Jurek (3-3, 3 RBI, HR, 4 runs) and Marais (3-5, 3 RBI, HR, 2 runs) led the Pioneer offense.

In the nightcap, the Pioneers struck first with a single run in the top of the first inning as Derrek Clyde reached after being hit by a pitch and moved to second on a Justin Jurek walk.  A sacrifice bunt by Tyler Robbins moved the runners up before Clyde was able to scamper home on a wild pitch to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.  Erie answered, however, with a single run of their own in the bottom of the frame to tie it up.

Delta again took the lead in the second as Luke Schrage scored on a Zack Booth RBI single to left to make it 2-1 after two innings.  Erie starting pitcher Mike Deleo settled down after that, striking out the next eight Delta batters in a row.  The hard throwing righty limited to Delta to just one hit while striking out 13 of the 20 batters he faced.

With the score tied at two apiece in the top of the fifth, Booth reached on a one-out walk before stealing second base.  After another 'K' gave the Kats two outs, Justin Jurek launched a triple off the left field fence to plate Booth and make it a 3-2 game.  Deleo was replaced on the hill and the first pitch went to the backstop allowing Jurek to score from third to make it 4-2 in favor of Delta.

"He was throwing hard but it was straight," said Jurek about his break-out hit.  "I knew when I hit it that I squared it up it was just a matter of how far it was going to go."

Meanwhile, Pioneer starter Cody Orban was matching Deleo pitch for pitch.  The sophomore from Cass City allowed just four hits over the first five innings and striking out seven Erie hitters. 

"My arm is the best it's felt in a long time," said Orban.  "Watson and I had a plan and we stuck to it. It's a great win."

With the score 4-2 and two outs in the top of the sixth, pinch hitters Jordan Jachens and Jackson Worsley each reached base via a hit by pitch and walk.  A Watson Moore pop up was misplayed into a two run error and Booth laced his second hit of the evening to left to score Moore to make it a 7-2 game.  A Clyde single scored Booth and two errors later Clyde scored himself to make it 9-2.

Delta tacked on two more runs in the seventh for the final 11-2 score while Orban faced just one batter over the minimum in the final four innings to pick up his first win of the season and even his record to 1-1.  He struck out 11 Erie batters in a complete game effort while walking none.

Offensively, Delta was led by Zack Booth who went three-for-three at the plate while scoring two runs and swiping three bags. 

The Pioneers finish their spring trip with single games tomorrow against Sussex County and Rainy River.  Game time is scheduled for 1:30pm in Lakeland.