Box Score
ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The second match-up between the Ouachita Tigers and Statesmen of Delta State this week ended in another heartbreaker for the Tigers, as they fell by a score of 5-4 to the No. 1 Statesmen.
 
Delta State put a two spot on the board in the second inning to get the scoring started. DSU's Ben Kingsley singled up the middle to kick off the inning, which was followed by an RBI triple from Jami Rachal that gave them the lead.
 
 Later in the top of the second inning Kasey Hinton hit into a fielder's choice play that allowed Rachal to score and gave Delta a 2-0 lead.
 
The Tigers answered in the bottom half of the inning with a pair of runs of their own. Will Wallace led the inning off with a single to centerfield, and was advanced to second by a sacrifice bunt from Landon Moore. Next up was McCrae Jones, who got on base due to an error by the third baseman.
 
Landon Flax came into the game put together a 2 RBI double to left field, scoring Jones and Wallace and tying the game.
 
It looked like the Tigers were going to take the lead in the bottom of the fourth, when they loaded the bases with just one out. In what looked like a typical sacrifice fly situation, Ouachita's Landon Flax flied out to centerfield and Jones tagged up at third looking to score. However, the centerfielder relayed to Delta's pitcher, who threw it home, resulting in a tag on Jones and stopping the Tiger attack.
 
Neither team even came close to scoring again until the top of the sixth inning, when Delta State re-took the lead. Delta's Michael Vinson led off the inning with a walk, before a single to center field moved him to third on a throwing error by the Tigers. The next batter singled to right field, scoring Vinson from third.
 
Delta State wasn't done in the sixth yet though, as their next batter recorded another single and plated another runner, giving the Statesmen a 4-2 lead heading into the bottom half of the inning.
 
The Tigers loaded the bases and were looking to answer Delta's two runs in the bottom of the sixth, but a solid pickoff move to second base fooled Ouachita's McCrae Jones and led to the third out of the inning.
 
Delta capitalized on the opportunity to stretch their lead, putting another run on the board in the top of the seventh and giving them a 5-2 lead with just two and half innings remaining in the game.
 
The Tigers came out in the bottom of the seventh and answered the Statesmens' run with one of their own, cutting the lead back to two runs with two innings to play.
 
An error in the bottom of the ninth allowed the Tigers to score a run, but they weren't able to tie the game afterwards, falling 5-4 to the No. 1 team in the country.
 
The Tigers head to Searcy, Arkansas on Friday to take on the Bisons of Harding University. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
 
-Josh Fink, Sports Information Director