Storm force "If Necessary" game for Region Title

Defeat UCSD, Chico State to extend NCAA playoff run

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KEIZER, Ore. – Sam Friend (Las Vegas, NV/Centennial) chose a perfect time to throw a complete game. Behind his five-hit effort, Dixie State College defeated Chico State 3-1 on Saturday to force the 2012 NCAA II West Regional to a decisive final game Sunday at 1 p.m. Mountain time.

The Red Storm earned the right to rematch with the Wildcats after defeating UC San Diego 6-4 in early Saturday action.

DSC 3, CHICO STATE 1

Relaxed and loose after defeating the Red Storm in Regional play on Friday, the Wildcats truck for a run off Friend in the second inning. Shane Kroker led off the frame with single through the right side and stole second. A grounder moved Kroker to third. On a 1-0 pitch, Pierson Jeremiah singled up the middle for the lead.

DSC answered in the fifth inning by taking a page from the Chico playbook. With two outs, the Red Storm used three straight single including an RBI hit from Cedric Johnson (Thatcher, AZ/Thatcher) to plate Garrett Nash (Draper, UT/Jordan) to even the score at 1-1.

Again with two outs in the sixth inning, DSC pushed across two critical runs on a Jordan Hanley (Las Vegas. NV/Bonanza) triple to left-center off Wildcat starter Ryan O'Shea.

“After I hit, I thought I got it,” Hanley said. “I looked up and it looked like he (CSUC centerfielder Cody Foster) had a beat on it. Our first base coach screamed, so I knew it fell. I turned it on and went for third.”

The cushion provided to be enough as Friend held the Wildcats to two hits over the final seven innings, both off the bat of Blake Gibbs.

“After the fifth, I wanted to finish the game,” Friend said. “I took it inning by inning by thinking 'one more, one more'.”

Hanley and Tyler Slesk (Bellingham, WA/Meridian) each went 2-for-4 for Dixie State.

DSC 6, UCSD 4

Joe Andrade (Yuma, AZ/San Luis ) launched his fifth home run of the year in the fifth inning to break a scoreless tie. His blast to right field began a three-inning scoring string for DSC. Johnson had an RBI ground out in the sixth.

A pair of doubles from Ammon Zitting (Pleasant Grove. UT/Lone Peak) and Nash plated three runs in the seventh for a 6-0 lead.

Bryce Anderson (Cedar City, UT/Cedar HS) worked out of numerous jams in the opening innings and left the game in the UCSD eighth after allowing two on base. Kyle DiMartino (Las Vegas, NV/Durango) did not retire a batter and was relieved after scattering an RBI single.

Daniel Zapata (Mesa, AZ/Westwood) induced a ground ball double play, which tallied the Tritons' final run of the inning, and struck out Nick La Face looking to keep the Storm lead at two runs. The DSC closer retired UCSD in order in the ninth for his ninth season save. Anderson took the win, improving to 5-3.

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