RED STORM DROP PAC WEST OPENING DH

DSC score three runs in two games at GCU

PHOENIX, ARIZONA – The start to the 2010 Pacific West Conference baseball season got off to a bumpy start for Dixie State College (2-4, 0-2 Pac West) as they dropped an opening doubleheader to host Grand Canyon (4-5, 2-0) on Friday afternoon at Brazell Stadium by the final scores of 4-2 in game one and 4-1 in game two.

Preston Grimes (Taylorsville, UT/Taylorsville) started the opener for DSC and faced the minimum amount of batter through 5.2 innings although he walked four. Grimes rolled up a pair of double plays and picked off two Antelope base runners to stay in control. He took a 1-0 lead – thanks to a Judd Jensen (Taylorsville, UT/Taylorsville) RBI single - into the GCU sixth but surrendered a two-out solo home run to Joey Bristyan. The Lopes added three more runs on an infield single and a two-run hit to the gap in right-center before Payton Rentmeister (Riverton, UT/Riverton) relieved Grimes (L, 1-2) and recorded the final out of the inning.

Dixie State tried to rally in the seventh getting a Jensen single and a pinch-hit double by Quinn Boyer (Ogden, UT/Bonneville HS) to put a pair in scoring position. DH Chase Pittsenbarger (Las Vegas, NV/Las Vegas) singled home Jensen, but a game-ending double play off the bat of Colton Yack (South Jordan, UT/Bingham) ended the Red Storm rally.

Lopes starter Jeff Urlaub went the distance striking out five for the win (1-1). Jensen and Adams each had two hits for Dixie State in the opener.

In game two, Justin Prodan (Rohnert Park, CA/Rancho Cotate) allowed one big frame – the GCU second. A sacrifice fly with the bases loaded put the Lopes up 1-0. The home team struck for three more runs with two outs highlighted by P.J. Garcia's two-run double for a 4-0 lead.

Dixie State got their lone run in the fourth on a Jensen single scoring Adams, who led off the inning with a double.

Prodan (L, 0-2) scattered four earned runs and struck out six in his second complete game in a losing effort this year. GCU's Danny Skelly earned the win to improve to 2-1.

Ammon Zitting (Pleasant Grove. UT/Lone Peak) went 2-for-4 for Dixie State in the nightcap.

Dixie State will look to break their four-game losing streak when they play Grand Canyon on Saturday in another doubleheader beginning at 1:00pm MT.