Box Score ST. GEORGE, UTAH – Saturday afternoon at Bruce Hurst Field, the Dixie State baseball team secured a share of their first-ever Pacific West Conference Championship. Drew Oldfield (Aurora, CO/Rangeview) blasted two homers and knocked in six runs en route to Dixie State's 15-4 series-sweeping win over Grand Canyon University in the Storm's final conference game of the regular season.
DSC improved to 28-17 on the season and 15-9 in the PWC. Grand Canyon lost their 11th straight to drop to 13-33, 7-13 PWC.
Tim McMahon (Littleton. CO/Heritage) made just his second start of the year and threw six quality innings. The junior lefty scattered two runs on six hits in six innings to even his season record at 1-1.
The Storm bats wasted no time putting 10 runs on the scoreboard over the first two innings. GCU starter Andy Rocha (2-6) walked five batters in the first and survived only a third of an inning. Oldfield's first home run, a three-run shot, highlighted a five-run onslaught in the second inning.
Darren Wilstead (Washington. UT/Pine View HS), making only his ninth start of 2009, had three extra-base hits and walked twice. The Storm swatted 14 hits with three a piece from Wilstead and junior outfielder Brett Adams (Sandy, UT/Alta).
GCU's Matt Fox homered in the ninth off the Hurst field scoreboard to cut the final margin to 11 runs.
The series was dominated by the Red Storm offense. Dixie State outscored Grand Canyon 49-10 in the four games while the top four in the DSC lineup – Aaron Friend (Las Vegas. NV/Centennial HS), Tony Nelson (St. George. UT/Dixie), Adams and Jimmy Dever (Tuscon. AZ/Catalina Foothills HS) – each swatted eight hits. The pitching staff also fared well with a series 2.53 ERA striking out 23 batters in 32 innings.
Dixie State returns to action on Friday, May 1 for the first game in a four-game set against #6-ranked NAIA-powerhouse Lewis-Clark State College beginning at 1:00pm. The series includes a doubleheader on Saturday at 1:00pm and the series finale Sunday at Noon.
