Mustangs clinch Big 8 Title, #1 Seed with 8-2 win over Modesto

With plenty to still play for in the home finale against Modesto, Delta put together a solid all-around performance. Noah Denoyer outdueled Kevin Duffy who entered the game with the Big 8's lowest ERA. Delta's offense consistently put pressure on Duffy with base runners in every inning. Duffy allowed five earned runs and yielded a home run to Dillon Tatum. Meanwhile, Denoyer was dominate for six innings. He did not allow a hit through 4 2/3 innings when he gave up a solo home run to Christian Whitt. Denoyer tallied six strikeouts and allowed just four hits to improve his record to 4-0. Joey Morris threw the final three scoreless innings to earn the save.

Taison Corio, Blake Dickman, and Dillon Tatum all collected multiple hits on the day. Vinny Bologna was 1-2 with a two run home run in the eighth which put the game out of reach. Bologna won the BIG 8 Triple Crown as he led the conference in batting average at .404, RBI's at 58 (tied with teammate Zack Mathis), and home runs with 11.

The win gives the Mustangs the outright Big 8 Title with a 19-5 conference record and the #1 Norcal Seed with a 33-7 overall record. The conference title is the second in a row and fourth in the last six years. Modesto falls to 12-12 in the Big 8 and 24-15 overall. Playoffs will begin on Friday at Delta College with the opponent to be determined after Tuesday's play-in games. Delta will play the lowest remaining seed between Sequoias, Monterey Peninsula, and Marin. For more playoff information go to: https://www.cccaasports.org/sports/bsb/Championship