DSC Baseball Win Streak Extends to Three

Storm take Sunday DH over UH Hilo

Nelson hits .500 for the day as DSC sweeps UHH

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ST. GEORGE, UTAH – The Dixie State College baseball team took both games of Sunday's doubleheader over the University of Hawaii at Hilo in two very different ways. Solid pitching and early offense allowed the Storm to cruise to a 9-1 series opening win. A come-from-behind effort was needed to secure an 8-4 nightcap triumph that included the use of the hidden ball trick.

DSC (14-9, 8-6 PWC) increased their current win streak to three games. UH Hilo (5-13, 1-9 PWC) had not played since losing three of four to Grand Canyon on March 1-2.

In the opener, Justin Prodan (Rohnert Park, CA/Rancho Cotate) came within one out of his fourth complete game. He tossed 6.2 innings of one run, three hit ball to even his record at 3-3.

Offensively, the Storm got all the runs they would need in the first. Tony Nelson (St. George. UT/Dixie) knocked an RBI-single and Rhett Welsh (Arvada, CO/Standley Lake) plated two with a double to dead center pushing DSC in front 3-0. The Red Storm eased home with single runs in the third, fourth and sixth combined with a three-run fifth.

Every starter recorded at least one hit with Nelson, Welsh and Colton Yack (South Jordan, UT/Bingham) each having two apiece.

UH Hilo came out aggressive in game two and took a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Two runs scored on back-to-back errors on the same play and Kalehua Moniz's double brought home the capper.

Ammon Zitting (Pleasant Grove. UT/Lone Peak) would close the gap to 3-1 with a single scoring Nelson in the home half, but DSC took the game's momentum away with seldom used defensive ploy in the third.

The Vulcans seemed primed to build on their lead with runners at first and third with nobody out. Nelson, at third, retrieved a relay throw from Aaron Friend (Las Vegas. NV/Centennial HS) in right field after a UHH single. He tucked the ball away and caught Jeff Hanna off of third before the next pitch to record the first out on a hidden ball trick. UH Hilo would not score in the inning.

DSC tied the score in the bottom of the third when Brett Adams (Sandy, UT/Alta) hit a laser line drive home run to left, making the score 3-3. The Vulcans retook the lead in the fourth only to see another Dixie State rally unfold in the fourth.

With two out, Friend single and stole second. He scored on a bloop single by Yack to center. With the game knotted at 4-4, Quinn Boyer (Ogden, UT/Bonneville HS) drew a walk to set up Drew Oldfield (Aurora, CO/Rangeview). With a 2-0 count, Oldfield lifted a ball to left for a three-run shot, his sixth of the year, giving DSC their first lead at 7-4.

Friend added an RBI sacrifice fly in the fifth to put the Storm up by four.

Hilo rallied to load the bases in the seventh with two out before Lane Kirby (Las Vegas, NV/Palo Verde) induced a ground ball for the final out. Kirby recorded his first save in support of Payton Rentmeister (Riverton, UT/Riverton) who earns the victory (2-1) in relief.

Nelson was the only DSC player with two hits in game two – he finished the day 4-for-8 with an RBI and four runs scored.

The conference series continues Monday at 1pm with a doubleheader – two seven-inning games.

Live radio coverage from Bruce Hurst Field begins at 12:50pm with the “Voice of the Red Storm” John Potter on Classical 91.3 FM and Network1Sports.com.

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