Delgado holds off Nunez to sweep Region XXIII Tournament

Fins Up and Happy Mother’s Day to all our Dolphin moms…past & present! Thanks for all that you do! pic.twitter.com/kTwDDSPD2U

— Delgado Athletics (@delgadodolphins) May 12, 2019

NEW ORLEANS – Delgado captured its 10th consecutive Region XXIII Division I championship Sunday with a 6-5 victory over Nunez Community College at Turchin Stadium.

The Dolphins (35-12) swept through this year’s three-team regional with a perfect 3-0 record and earned a berth in the South Central District Championship next weekend in Missouri.

Delgado never led until the bottom of the eighth, when it rallied for three runs to take a 6-4 lead.

Brandon Briuglio walked and Tyler McManus singled to open the eighth. A throwing error on Grant Schulz’s sacrifice bunt allowed both runners to score and Schulz to reach third, giving the Dolphins a 5-4 lead. Schulz scored on a catcher’s throw to first following a strikeout to give the Dolphins a two-run edge.

Dominic Curole hit his second home run of the game with two outs in the top of the ninth before Dwain Varisco closed it out for his seventh save of the season.

Nunez took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning with a two run home run by Dominic Curole.

Justin Ory cut the lead in half with a solo homerun during Delgado’s first plate appearance of the game. In the third, Tyler McManus walked and advanced on a passed ball before scoring on a single by Ross Scelfo to tie the game 2-2.

The Pelicans broke the tie in the seventh with a two-run, two-hit inning to retake the lead before Delgado added a run in the bottom frame on an RBI single by Beau Freeman to make it a 4-3 game.

Starter Payton Russell went six innings, allowing four hits and fanning four. David Theriot, who pitched a scoreless eighth inning, got the win.

The South Central District Championship will be hosted by Region XVI champion Crowder College in Joplin, Missouri. The tournament will also include the Region II champion – either Connors State or Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, who will meet for the region championship Monday afternoon.

Sunday’s victory marks Delgado’s 13th Region XXIII title and South Central District championship berth over the past 14 seasons.