With the Mississippi Valley State baseball team down to its last strike Friday against the top squad in the SWAC East, Jan Tolentino delivered for the Delta Devils.
The senior catcher from Puerto Rico poked an RBI single up the middle, scoring Darrien Chapman to send MVSU’s series opener against Bethune-Cookman into extra innings tied at 1-1.
Unfortunately for the Delta Devils, their pitching staff could only shut down the Wildcats for so long. Bethune-Cookman scored twice in the top of the 11th inning to take down MVSU, 3-1, at Magnolia Field in Itta Bena.
Starting pitcher Calvin McClendon surrendered just one run in six innings of work while Jose Salazar-Ortega tossed four scoreless innings of relief before yielding a pair of runs in the 11th and taking the loss on the mound. The duo allowed just five hits, but also walked a combined 12 batters to go along with 11 strikeouts. Antonio Walker got the final three outs of the game for the Delta Devils (8-10-1, 2-5 SWAC), who are still off to their best start in a decade despite the loss.
Louis Lipthratt went the first 8 1/3 innings for the Wildcats (11-14, 6-1), allowing just one run. Brenton Fisher finished the game in relief and got the win, tossing 2 2/3 scoreless innings.
Star third baseman Dreylin Holmes hit his team-leading sixth double of the season, a rocket into the right-center field gap that accounted for the only extra-base hit of the contest. Holmes and Tolentino had the only two hits of the evening for MVSU.
The Delta Devils continue their weekend slate Saturday against Bethune-Cookman starting at 2 p.m. First pitch for the series finale on Sunday is scheduled for 1 p.m.
- Contact Riley Overend at 662-581-7237 or roverend@gwcommonwealth.com.
