Mundell Pitches Delgado Into District Title Game

Inevitably, in the course of postseason baseball, there are unlikely heroes. Delgado Community College found one Saturday in pitcher Ben Mundell.

The left-hander pitched six innings of three-hit relief as the Dolphins defeated Eastern Oklahoma State College 5-4 to advance to the championship game of the NJCAA South Central District tournament at Kirsch-Rooney.

Delgado (42-16) will meet Jefferson (Mo.) College at 1 p.m. Sunday, with the winner advancing to the Junior College World Series.

Mundell, who had thrown only 24 2/3 innings this season before Saturday, came on in the bottom of the fourth to replace Stone Speer, who struggled with his control from the outset. Mundell walked four and struck out five.

“Mundell wasn’t even on our radar in February,” Delgado coach Joe Scheuermann said of the sophomore from Fontainebleau, “and he comes out and pitches his best game of the season in the biggest game of the season.”

The Dolphins jumped out to a 5-0 lead but couldn’t add on any more. Delgado left 15 runners on base, including the bases loaded three times.

Chad Gough-Fortenberry had a two-run double in a three-run fourth inning, and later tagged out the potential tying run between home and third for the final out in the bottom of the eighth.

Scheuermann said Lyndon Eusea, who earned the win in last Sunday’s Region 23 title game against Baton Rouge Community College, will get the start Sunday.