Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
BOX SCORES: HPU 7, DSC 5 |
DSC 6, HPU 2
ST. GEORGE – In the course of competing for a conference championship, teams engage in the task of winning every series placed in front of them. In Dixie State College's case on Tuesday, that would include splitting with Hawaii Pacific after taking the opening two games on Monday.
That's exactly what the Red Storm did. The Sea Warriors busted out for 15 hits in a 7-5 victory before the Storm rode the arm of the reigning Pacific West Conference Pitcher of the Week in the 6-2 nightcap victory. Dixie State took three of four games from HPU over the two-day set.
DSC completed a season-long home stand with 13 wins to sit at 21-9 on the year and 17-7 in the PacWest. HPU departs from Utah's Dixie at 18-8, 10-6 PWC.
Stefan Cantwell (South Jordan, UT/Bingham) felt the offensive fury from the Warriors. The freshman scattered two runs on four hits in the HPU second inning and was tagged with three of the four runs posted by the visitors in the third.
The Storm went to work after spotting HPU a 6-0 lead by chipping away in innings four through seven.
Jayden Darrington (Washington, UT/Desert Hills) had an RBI sacrifice fly in the fourth and
Colton Yack (South Jordan, UT/Bingham) brought home a run with a groundball in the fifth.
Darrington added a pair of runs with a home run, his first at Dixie State, in the sixth.
Tyson Littlewood (St. George. UT/Pine View HS) brought the Storm within two runs lining a sharp double to left field in the seventh.
Opportunities presented themselves in the eighth and ninth innings, but HPU's Edward Trovato closed out the rally attempts. He caught
Cedric Johnson (Thatcher, AZ/Thatcher) and
Garrett Nash (Draper, UT/Jordan) on called third strikes to leave two runners in scoring position in the penultimate frame. In the subsequent frame, Trovato loaded the bags with two outs. He rebounded to end the game by striking out Darrington swinging.
A trio of Sea Warriors had three hits – Blake Amaral, Derek Nakasato and Troy Ajer. The Warriors outhit DSC 15 to 11.
The series finale allowed
Jason Holmes (Cedar City, UT/Canyon View) – the current PWC Pitcher of the Week – another opportunity to shine. He responded with quality. Holmes allowed one run on five hits while striking out four batters over six innings.
Offensively, the Red Storm provided all of the firepower in the first three innings. In the first, Yack and
Joe Andrade (Yuma, AZ/San Luis ) lined back-to-back doubles.
Jordan Hanley (Las Vegas. NV/Bonanza) followed later with a sacrifice fly, plating Andrade.
Small ball took center stage in the second.
Yuto Kata (Chiba, Japan/Juan Diego (Utah)) singled to shortstop and Nash reached on a bunt single. After both advanced 90 feet on a balk, Yack bunted toward first. The throw toward first sailed well above the head of the defender allowing both lead runners to score and Yack to advance to third. Andrade added an exclamation with a liner into center for the Storm's third run of the frame.
Daniel Zapata (Mesa, AZ/Westwood) pitched himself into a jam in the final frame. He allowed his first earned run of the year, but overcame a shaky start to induce a double play and fly ball to close the ballgame.
Nash and Yack led the way with two hits each. DSC had nine hits in the series finale.
Dixie State will have 15 days off before continuing conference play. Next on the schedule is a doubleheader with HPU from Hans L'Orange Park in Waipahu, Hawaii on April 12 at 7 p.m. Mountain.
Hawaii Pacific 7, Dixie State 5 (Mar 27, 2012 at St. George, UT) (Game 1)
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Hawaii Pacific...... 024 001 000 - 7 15 0 (18-7, 10-5 PWC)
Dixie State......... 000 112 100 - 5 11 1 (20-9, 16-7 PWC)
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Pitchers: Hawaii Pacific - Murray, Michael; Fujimoto, Jeremy(8); Trovato, Edward(8) and
Inamasu, Jordan. Dixie State - Cantwell, Stefan; Anderson, Bryce(3); Stone, Taylor(8);
DiMartino, Kyle(9) and Andrade, Joe.
Win-Murray, Michael(5-1) Save-Trovato, Edward(5) Loss-Cantwell, Stefan(2-1) T-3:04 A-412
HR HPU-BASE - Amaral, Blake.
HR DX-BASE - Darrington, Jayden.
Weather: 70, hazy
Cantwell, S faced 3 batters in the 3rd.
Fujimoto, J faced 2 batters in the 8th.
Game: 29-DXBB
Dixie State 6, Hawaii Pacific 2 (Mar 27, 2012 at St. George) (Game 2)
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Hawaii Pacific...... 010 000 1 - 2 7 1 (18-8, 10-6 PWC)
Dixie State......... 231 000 X - 6 9 1 (21-9, 17-7 PWC)
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Pitchers: Hawaii Pacific - Gauthe, Bryson and Sumner, Kale. Dixie State - Holmes, Jason;
Zapata, Daniel(7) and Manning, Mitch.
Win-Holmes, Jason(3-0) Loss-Gauthe, Bryson(2-1) T-1:49 A-379
Weather: 65, clear
Game: 30-DXBB
