OXFORD, Ala. (WGNO) — Shelton State scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to mount a 6-5 comeback win over Delgado to secure the NJCAA South District Championship Monday at Young Memorial Field in Birmingham, Alabama.
Delgado led throughout the game, plating its first run on Walker Bazile’s bases loaded walk in the fourth. Casey Artigues’ three run double gave the Dolphins the 4-0 lead. Shelton State picked up an unearned run in the bottom of the inning on an overthrow. In the fifth, Evans reached on an infield error before Morrison’s two run homerun cut the Delgado lead to a run. Delgado tacked on a fifth run on Josh Eames’ sacrifice fly in the seventh, scoring Jack Walker, who reached on a leadoff single and stole second before advancing on a single by Eli Booth.
With the Bucs trailing 5-3 in the bottom of the ninth, Helms reached on a one out double, Morrison as a hit batter, and Wilson on a single and overthrow to allow a fourth Shelton run to score. An infield error allowed the tying run to score before Steele’s RBI single plated the sixth and game winning run in Shelton State’s 6-5 win to remain the tournament’s lone unbeaten team and avoid the tournament’s if necessary game. Blaise Lalonde suffered the loss, pitching 2.1 innings into the ninth in relief of starter Bryce Pitts, who pitched six innings. Brady Schmidt faced the game’s final two batters.
With the loss, Delgado closes the 2024 campaign 41-16, having captured the program’s fourteenth consecutive Region XXIII title and district super regional berth.
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