Delgado sweeps pair of games Saturday, one win away from JUCO World Series

BOX SCORES: vs. Seminole | vs. Crowder

Neosho, Mo. – Joe Scheuermann has taken four Delgado teams to the National Junior College Athletic Association World Series. The Hall of Fame coach is one away from a fifth and a sixth in program history.

Delgado swept a pair of games Saturday in the South Central District regional Saturday at Lallemand Family Field, rallying to defeat Seminole State (Oklahoma) 3-2 before starting fast and holding off host and defending district champion Crowder College (Missouri) 8-5.

As a result, the Dolphins (44-11) are in the driver’s seat, needing just one win Sunday to advance to the World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado beginning next weekend.

In the opening game, Seminole State pitcher Robert Bavon blanked the Dolphins over seven innings before being lifted. The Trojans broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring after Delgado starter Carson Lore had obtained a strikeout for what would have been the third out but a wild pitch allowed the hitter to reach. Conner Owens and Vinny Saumell followed with RBI singles, taking advantage of the rare opportunity to score.

“We had a little baseball misfortune to make it 2-0,” Delgado coach Joe Scheuermann said. “The guy struck out, the ball gets away from our catcher and they come up with base hits.

It stayed that way until the top of the eighth inning when Delgado got to the Seminole State bullpen and took full advantage.

Logan O’Neill and Jake Kaufmann singled before Cade Pregeant drove in O’Neill with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-1.

Pinch-hitter Cole Stromboe, who delivered two big RBI pinch-hits in the Region 23 tournament which led to wins, did it again, delivering O’Neill with the tying run on the single to left to make it 2-2.

In the top of the ninth, Jhonnatan Ferrebus and O’Neill singled and Tyler Cook delivered a huge two-out, RBI double, scoring Ferrebus.

“Hats off the Kaile, hats off to Carson for pitching good all day,” Cook said. “Stromboe has been doing what he’s been going. I knew we had to get that run in. It was close the whole time. It felt good to come through for the team. It was a 2-0 count and I was looking middle-in. It was exactly where I was looking and I was able to pull it down the line. It was awesome.”

Closer Kaile Levatino did the rest, retiring all five hitters he faced to pick up the win, moving to 6-1 on the season. Levatino struck out two.

Lore pitched an outstanding game, allowing two runs on six hits in 7.2 innings. Lore walked just two and struck out six.

Taylon Laxson, the third pitcher of the game for the Trojans (41-21), took the loss.

“We did what we had to do to win,” Scheuermann said. “Stromboe and Cook got big hits and Levatino has been our guy going on three years now. The difference in the poise and the way he attacks hitters is the difference in the game. We have kids that have been there, done that as an experienced team.”

In game two, the Dolphins started off in grand fashion, jumping on Crowder College starter Riely Hunsaker for five runs on four hits.

Stromboe and Josh Alexander singled and JT Singletary delivered Stromboe with an RBI single. Brock Slaton walked to load the bases and Ferrubus drilled a base-clearing, three-run double to right to make it 4-0. Stromboe came to bat again and was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and the Dolphins had a 5-0 lead.

The Roughriders got on the board in the third inning on an RBI single by Dayvin Johnson to cut the deficit to 5-1.

The lead grew to 8-1 in the top of the sixth inning as the Dolphins scored three unearned runs on three errors. Ferrubus had a sacrifice fly and te Dolphins were in control but things would get a bit dicey.

Crowder scored a run in the bottom of the sixth on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to 8-2.

With two outs, the Roughriders scored three runs in the seventh to make it 8-5 on an infield hit by Houston King, scoring the first run before Kolton Reynolds drilled a two-run single.

In the bottom of the ninth, Crowder brought the tying run to the plate but Garrett Long flew out to right field to end it.

Plagued by a miniscule strike zone all afternoon, Delgado pitching survived eight walks, stranding 13 Roughriders on base.

University of New Orleans signee Chris Olivier picked up his 11th win of the season, going 5.2 innings and allowing two runs on five hits with six walks, a hit batter and two strikeouts. Tyler Velino went 1.2 innings, allowing three runs before Levatino came in and got it done again, obtaining the final five outs for his seventh save of the season.

“It was really good because last year and the year before, we were in the same spot and it didn’t work out,” Levatino said. “It finally worked out. I was really excited the first time. The second game was harder with the two runners, a little iffy, but I just stuck to what I do. This team is a lot more mature and a lot more experienced than last year. The freshmen we have this year have really helped a lot. We have pitchers who keep us in the game and hitters who get the job done.”

Hunsaker took the loss the Roughriders (50-12).

The only negative of the day was Delgado center fielder Bryan Broussard Jr. being hit in the hand and wrist area by a pitch early in game one. Broussard stayed in the game but did not play the second game. Fortunately, X-rays were negative.

“I was looking in the dugout to see what we had left,” Scheuermann said. “I look down the line and Kaile is warming up in the bullpen. If he’s going to warm up, we’re going to put him in. Junior College baseball is a different game on the road. We fought through it and got the job done.”

Delgado (44-11) will play Seminole State (42-21) at 2 p.m. Sunday. The Trojans knocked out Crowder College 5-4 Saturday evening.

If the Dolphins win, they would advance to the World Series for the first time since 2017. Should Delgado lose, the Dolphins would play again with the winner to advance. You can watch all Delgado games Sunday live at www.delgadoathletics.com and listen to them live on Dolphin Radio 99.1 FM.

“We still have one big game to win,” Scheuermann said. “I don’t want to sound like a hater but we’ve put ourselves in position to win, let’s go win.”

Having pitched twice on Saturday, one would imagine Levatino is done for the weekend. I asked him if he had anything left in him for tomorrow.

“I do,” Levatino said, without hesitation.