Anderson strong as No. 24 Red Storm down MSUB, 4-2

Senior allows two runs over 7.2 innings for the win

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ST. GEORGE – Senior pitcher Bryce Anderson (Cedar City, UT/Cedar HS) tossed four hit baseball over 7.2 innings Saturday afternoon leading Dixie State University to 4-2 home victory over Montana State-Billings in West Region action.

The 24^th-ranked Red Storm extend their early season winning streak to five games, improving to 6-1 on the year.

Anderson struck out five to earn his first win of the year (1-0) working through multiple situations with MSUB runners in scoring position. He allowed his only earned run in the Yellowjacket half of the sixth. After a leadoff double and a ground out moved Austin Rue to third, Drew Fosnes hit a sacrifice fly to center field for an RBI.

DSU answered back with three runs in the bottom half of the frame, but not without a fair amount of criticism. With one out, Kevin Kline (Las Vegas, NV/Rancho) swung at a dropped third strike and appeared to take one step toward the dugout before safely advancing to first base on a wild pitch. After a conference of the three umpires, Kline's advancement was ruled legal.

Head coach Chris Pfatenhauer immediately place pinch runner Matt Medina (Tooele, UT/Tooele) on first to add a speed threat. It proved to be an ingenious switch as Medina scored all the way from first on a first-pitch double off the wall in center by Kris Kaplan (Las Vegas, NV/Cimarron Memorial).

A pair of subsequent MSUB errors extended the inning. Ryan Wescott (Glendale, AZ/Cactus) reached on a fielding error by the shortstop and stole second to put runners a pair of runners in scoring position. Cedric Johnson (Thatcher, AZ/Thatcher) rolled a ball to first that went right through the legs of Brad Birch to score Kaplan and Wescott.

Kaplan added an insurance tally in the seventh with an RBI single.

MSUB tallied an unearned run against Anderson on an fielding error at shortstop.

Kort Christofferson allowed two base runners in the ninth, but got MSUB catcher Orrin Pyrah to fly our to right field for his second save of the year.

DSU outhit the Yellowjackets seven to four. Kaplan and Jordan Hanley (Las Vegas. NV/Bonanza) each had two hits for the Red Storm.

Dixie State looks for the series sweep Sunday at noon from Bruce Hurst Field.

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