Seniors shine as Storm hold off CSULA

Regular season closes with 5-4 win against regionally-ranked club

Tyler Slesk went 1-for-2 with 2 RBI in Sunday's 5-4 win

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ST. GEORGE – Tyler Slesk (Bellingham, WA/Meridian) looped a two-out single to right field to bring home the go-ahead run in the eighth and Daniel Zapata (Mesa, AZ/Westwood) pitched a perfect ninth to become the Dixie State Division-II career saves leader in the Red Storm's 5-4 series finale victory over Cal State Los Angeles on Sunday.

The non-conference victory gave DSC the series three games to one and improved their overall season record to 32-18. CSULA fell to 26-22. Both teams await the word from the NCAA about a spot in the four-team West Regional in a couple of weeks.

CSULA pushed out to a early 3-0 lead through four innings. The Red Storm broke through with a pair of runs in the fifth after loading the bases with zero outs. Slesk began the scoring by flying out to right field for his first RBI on the day, plating Ammon Zitting (Pleasant Grove. UT/Lone Peak). Jordan Hanley (Las Vegas. NV/Bonanza) followed with a single through the left side plating Yuto Kata (Chiba, Japan/Juan Diego (Utah)) to make the score 3-2.

The Eagles responded with a run in the sixth for a 4-2 advantage. Jordan Blanchard filled quality innings out of the bullpen. He held CSULA to only three hits over three innings.

Joe Andrade (Yuma, AZ/San Luis ) manufactured the countering tally in the bottom of the sixth with a single, an advancement to second on a wild pitch, moving to third on a Zitting single, and scoring on another wild pitch.

Tyson Littlewood (St. George. UT/Pine View HS) provided the equalizer in the seventh, doubling off the top of the wall in left to bring home Jordan Hanley (Las Vegas. NV/Bonanza) from first base.

The go-ahead tally came on a Storm two-out rally of CSULA reliever Jacob Valenzuela. Kata rolled a checked-swing down the third base side for an infield hit. Garrett Nash (Draper, UT/Jordan) followed suit with a single through the right side. With the count 1-2, Slesk found the grass in left, Kata scooted past third and scored the eventual game-winner.

Zapata picked up his eighth season save retiring the side in order – a called third strike, a fly out and a pop-up to Slesk at second. He closed out career save number 17, one better than Todd Morlock during the 2009-10 seasons.

Dixie State finished the regular season for the second consecutive year with 32 wins. The Storm placed second in the Pacific West Conference behind California Baptist.

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