Delta Plays First Home Game of Season

Saginaw Twp, MI – Delta opened up Wickes Park in style in game one on Tuesday, defeating visiting Schoolcraft College 12-2 in six innings but couldn't keep the momentum going in dropping the nightcap, 11-8.  It was the first home game of the season for Delta after playing 31 straight on the road due to field conditions at Wickes Park in Saginaw Township, the field DC calls home.  The split leaves Delta at 17-16 on the season and 7-7 in MCCAA play.  They are now 3-1 in Regional play while Schoolcraft also sits at 3-1 in Region XII.  The best record within the region will get the #1 seed in the Region XII tournament, hosted by Delta at Northwood University May 12^th-14^th.

Ethan Lesperance dominated the Ocelots throwing all six innings and giving up just one earned run on four hits.  He struck out three and walked just one to even his record at 3-3 on the season.

Schoolcraft got on the board first in game one, scoring two runs in the top of the second before Delta answered with five in the third on back-to-back doubles by Dean Marais and Zach Schirmer.  They would push the lead to 6-2 in the fifth as Z Westley hit a deep fly out of the park for his sixth homerun on the year.  In the seventh, they would put the game away scoring six runs to induce the mercy.

Five Delta players had two hits to lead the balanced attack.

Robin Van Orden put his undefeated record and sparkling ERA on the line in game two and Schoolcraft was up to the challenge scoring six unearned runs and seven total in the top of the second inning to take a quick 7-0 lead.  But as they have done all season, the Delta offense chiseled away at the lead and answered with six runs of their own in the bottom of the second with the big blast being a Ty Jones two-run shot to left. 

The score would remain at 7-6 until the bottom of the sixth inning.  That's when Z Westley singled to lead the inning off before pinch runner Peyton Jurek was bunted to second.  After a strikeout, Jones once again went yard to give the Pioneers their first lead of the game at 8-7.  Jones accounted for six of the Pioneers RBI's in the game while hitting his first two dingers of the season.

The lead was short lived, however, as Schoolcraft plated four runs with two outs and then shut down DC 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh to salvage a split.

Jones and Tyler Snover led the offense with two hits apiece while Jeff Wright took the loss on the hill for Delta to even his record at 1-1 on the year.  Defensively, Delta committed just one error in the contest but it led to seven unearned runs.

The Pioneers will next host a Region XII contest on Thursday as Lorain Community College comes to Wickes.  First pitch of the double-header is scheduled for 2pm.