Delta Sweeps on Final Day of Spring Trip

Lakeland, Florida – The Delta College baseball team completed their spring trip for 2016 in fashion on Saturday, sweeping Sussex County by the score of 11-5 and Rainy River 8-1 to head north with an 8-6 record.  It was DC's fifth consecutive win.

"We showed this week that we are able to adjust and get better, every day," said fifth year head coach Danny Smith.  "There are plenty of areas we need to improve upon and that's what the next couple of weeks are about."  Delta opens league play on April 2^nd in Lansing.

Game one on Saturday saw the two teams exchange blows as Sussex County scored single runs in the first, second and fourth innings while Delta did the same in the first three innings to force a 3-3 tie heading into the bottom of the fifth.  That's when three consecutive Delta batters would reach to load the bases before scoring on a Ty Jones RBI ground out and a Tyler Kelsey single to make the score 5-3.

But Sussex came right back in the top of the sixth as an RBI double and a passed ball put the game tying run on second base with one out.  Pioneer starting pitcher Austin Dingee was then replaced by reliever Jake Lesniak who would get a fly out and a comebacker to end the threat and the inning.

The Pioneers would go on to score six runs in the bottom of the sixth to put the game out of reach, highlighted by a two-RBI double by Tyler Robbins and a two-RBI single by Kelsey.  Sussex reached Lesniak for a single run in the seventh but the freshmen finished the game off to pick up his first collegiate save.

Dean Marais led the offense for Delta, going three-for-four while scoring three runs and stealing two bags.  Robbins (2-2, 2 RBI, 2 runs) and Kelsey (2-2, 2 walks, 3 RBI) had big games for the Pioneers as well.  Austin Dingee collected his first win of the season to go to 1-0 while striking out five and surrendering just two earned runs.

The second game of the day started in much of the same way as the first when Delta scored a single run in the top of the first inning only to be matched by Rainy River Community College in the bottom half of the inning.  Except in this game, Pioneer starter Matt Sahr didn't surrender another run over the next five innings as Delta won going away, 8-1.

With the score 3-1 in favor of DC in the top of the fifth, Justin Heinlein hit a two-RBI double to bring home Tyler Kelsey and Zack Booth to up the lead to 5-1 and give Sahr more than enough run support.

"It was good to see Matty throw so well even though his stuff wasn't polished," said Smith.  "He's the guy we look toward to carry our staff."  Sahr threw six innings, giving up just one earned run on four hits while striking out seven and walking one.  Ethan Lesperance threw a perfect seventh for Delta.

"We played like it was our typical last day in Florida," said Smith.  "Every team does it.  We were here physically but mentally we were back in Michigan.  I didn't feel that these games should have been this close but we'll take the W's."

Delta is tentatively scheduled to play against the Northwood JV team in Midland on Wednesday before heading to Cornerstone on the 23^rd for a double-header.  Start time for this week's game is still undetermined.