CLEVELAND, Miss. — Delta State University’s softball team split a doubleheader with No. 7 West Florida on Friday at University Field. The Argonauts won the opener 7-4, but the Statesmen responded with a 3-1 victory in the second game, according to school officials.
West Florida built an early lead in the first game, taking advantage of six Delta State errors and scoring two unearned runs. The Argonauts added another run in the third and broke the game open with a three-run fourth inning. Delta State fought back with a two-run home run from Kyleigh Wheaton in the fifth and an RBI double from Maeve Lavoy in the fourth. Carly Dunigan added two hits and a run scored, but West Florida’s Hannah Guffey pitched a complete game, allowing six hits and striking out four to earn the win, officials said.
In the second game, Delta State’s Maeve Lavoy delivered a dominant performance, pitching a four-hit complete game with four strikeouts and one walk. The Statesmen scored first in the third inning when Joryie McKnight doubled and scored after Mary Teague reached on a hit-by-pitch. West Florida tied the game in the fifth, but Delta State responded immediately. In the sixth, Teague singled, McKnight reached on an error, and Wheaton ripped an RBI double to put the Statesmen ahead. Dunigan followed with a sacrifice fly, extending the lead to 3-1. Lavoy retired the final three batters to secure the win, officials said.
Wheaton finished the day with three RBIs, including a home run and the go-ahead double in Game Two. McKnight recorded three hits, two runs, and an RBI across both games. Lavoy improved to 2-0 with her complete-game effort. Teague reached base four times and scored three runs. Delta State moved to 4-12 overall and 2-3 in conference play, handing West Florida just its third loss of the season and first in conference play. The teams will conclude the series Saturday at noon as part of their home stand, officials added.
