Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
BOX SCORES: DSC 8, HPU 5 |
DSC 5, HPU 4
ST. GEORGE – The Dixie State script in Monday's doubleheader games against Hawaii Pacific read nearly identical – take an early lead and hold on against a late Sea Warrior swell. DSC took the opening games of a critical Pacific West Conference four-game series with 8-4 and 5-4 victories at Bruce Hurst Field.
Dixie State improved to 20-8 on the season and 16-6 in the PacWest with its fourth consecutive victory. Hawaii Pacific dropped to 17-7 and 9-5 in league play.
Offensively, the Red Storm took early advantage over the previously unbeaten southpaw Cory Yuh.
Garrett Nash (Draper, UT/Jordan) opened with triple to dead center.
Tyson Littlewood (St. George. UT/Pine View HS) walked and
Joe Andrade (Yuma, AZ/San Luis ) was plunked to load the bags.
Jordan Hanley (Las Vegas. NV/Bonanza) drew a bases loaded walk for the Storm's first run. Littlewood trotted home after Yuh balked.
Mitch Manning (Kaysville, UT/Davis) brought home the final tally of the opening frame with an RBI groundout to first, scoring Andrade.
The advantage jumped to 7-0 with four more runs in the second. With one out,
Yuto Kata (Chiba, Japan/Juan Diego (Utah)) launched his first collegiate home run to left, a solo shot. The bases would load up thanks to a Nash single, a bunt hit by
Colton Yac (South Jordan, UT/Bingham)k and a Littlewood walk. Andrade plated a pair with a single to right and Hanley lined a shot up the middle t plate Littlewood.
Dixie State tacked on a final run in the fourth on another Manning RBI groundout.
HPU found little opportunities against DSC starter
Mike Dedrick (Cedar City, UT/Canyon View) until the fifth inning. Blake Amaral notched an RBI getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Keanu Kapana singled up the middle bringing home two more and knocking Dedrick out of the game.
Taylor Stone (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena (AZ)) entered from the bullpen and snuffed out the rally with a strikeout.
Kale Sumner homered to lead off the HPU eighth inning. With runners at the corners and out one,
Austin Christiansen (Las Vegas, NV/Legacy (NV)) was called from the bullpen and induced an inning-ending double play. The Sea Warriors got a hit in the ninth before Christiansen ended the game with a Kapana fly ball.
Stone earned the win in relief (1-0) while Christiansen got credit for his first save. Dixie State knocked out twelve hits in the opener. Nash, Yack and Hanley each had three hits.
Game two started with a similar first inning outburst by the Red Storm. Nash singled and found himself on tird with two outs. Andrade hit a slow roller to the first base side and reached after HPU starter John Albert dropped an underhand toss in an attempt to cover first. A walk to Hanley brought Manning to the plate. A double to left center plated two runs to give DSC a 3-0 lead.
After punching across a run in the fourth, DSC saw its lead dwindle as HPU scored two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings. The Warriors had the bases loaded with one out in the sixth, but
Daniel Zapata (Mesa, AZ/Westwood) got a double play ball to second to end the threat.
In the home half of the sixth, Hanley began the festivities with a single up the middle. A speed threat on the bases, Hanley stole second base and advanced to third on an Albert wild pitch. Manning flied a ball out to right field on a 3-2 pitch deep enough for the speedy Hanley to beat the throw of Amaral to home.
Zapata took over and protected the one-run lead. He struck out Russell Doi, Amaral and Kapana to earn himself a win in relief and the team victory over HPU.
Manning was the only Storm player with two hits as both teams had seven hits for the game.
Games three and four of the series are Tuesday beginning at 4 p.m. from Bruce Hurst Field.
Dixie State 8, Hawaii Pacific 4 (Mar 26, 2012 at Saint George, UT) (Game 1)
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Hawaii Pacific...... 000 030 010 - 4 11 1 (17-6, 9-4 PWC)
Dixie State......... 340 100 00X - 8 12 0 (19-8, 15-6 PWC)
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Pitchers: Hawaii Pacific - Yuh, Cory; Hoppie, Nolan(2) and Inamasu, Jordan. Dixie State -
Dedrick, Mike; Stone, Taylor(5); Christiansen, Austin(8) and Andrade, Joe.
Win-Stone, Taylor(1-0) Save-Christiansen, Austin(1) Loss-Yuh, Cory(5-1) T-2:32 A-264
HR HPU-BASE - Sumner, Kale.
HR DX-BASE - Kata, Yuto.
Weather: 59, Sunny
Game: 27-DXBB
Dixie State 5, Hawaii Pacific 4 (Mar 26, 2012 at St. George, UT) (Game 2)
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Hawaii Pacific...... 000 022 0 - 4 7 1 (17-7, 9-5 PWC)
Dixie State......... 300 101 X - 5 7 1 (20-8, 16-6 PWC)
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Pitchers: Hawaii Pacific - Albert, John and Kapana, Keanu. Dixie State - Friend, Sam;
Christiansen, Austin(5); Zapata, Daniel(6) and Manning, Mitch.
Win-Zapata, Daniel(1-0) Loss-Albert, John(4-2) T-2:02 A-213
Weather: 61, Sunny
Christiansen faced 2 batters in the 6th.
Game: 28-DXBB
