SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – The Red Storm baseball team dropped both games of a Friday afternoon doubleheader at Point Loma Nazarene University. Dixie State dropped the opener 11-3 before falling a run short in the finale 3-2 at Carroll B. Land Stadium – also known as the “World's Most Scenic Ballpark”.

Dixie State (2-2) stuck with the #2-ranked NAIA Sea Lions for the early portion of game one. Starting pitcher Preston Grimes (Taylorsville, UT/Taylorsville) (1-1) was hit for five runs on six hits in four innings while striking out four. With Dixie up 3-1, Point Loma scored 10 runs unanswered over four frames to pull away.

Head coach Mile Littlewood praised PLNU after handing DSC their first loss of the season. “They are loaded with Division-I type players. With the exception of three innings in the first game, we played right with them.”

Brett Adams (Sandy, UT/Alta) homered for DSC in the third inning, a two-run shot for his first of the season.

Junior transfer Justin Prodan (Rohnert Park, CA/Rancho Cotate) got the start in game two and pitched a complete game in his Dixie State debut. The right-hander went six innings allowing three runs on seven hits but received the loss (0-1) after a seventh inning Red Storm rally fell just short.

“I was extremely pleased with Justin's complete game and the overall effort of our team”, said Littlewood. “We just faced a more talented team today.”

Chase Pittsenbarger (Las Vegas, NV/Las Vegas) hit a two-run blast in the Red Storm seventh to set up a final inning rally. Jordan Hanley (Las Vegas. NV/Bonanza) singled with one out and advanced on a wild pitch. He was stranded in scoring position after Ammon Zitting (Pleasant Grove. UT/Lone Peak) popped out to first and Colton Yack (South Jordan, UT/Bingham)'s screamer to first was snared to end the game.

Dixie State College will begin Pacific West Conference play on the road at Grand Canyon University on Friday afternoon, February 18 at 3:00pm MT. The Red Storm will battle the Antelopes in consecutive doubleheaders, two games on Friday and two on Saturday, from Brazell Stadium in Phoenix.