Win streak snapped in pair of losses to PLNU

Red Storm drop back-to-back games for first time this year

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SAINT GEORGE – A big loss and late Point Loma rally brought an eight-game Dixie State University winning streak and ultimately spilt the Red Storm's opening Pacific West Conference series.

With 16-3 and 3-2 (7) losses, the Red Storm sits at 9-3 on the season and 2-2 in the PacWest, while the Sea Lions moved to 7-8, 4-4 PWC with the wins.

Jordan Hanley (Las Vegas. NV/Bonanza) had three hits in Monday' opener and knocked in an RBI for DSU. Bryce Anderson (Cedar City, UT/Cedar HS) surrendered seven runs, five earned, on 10 PLNU hits in three-plus frame for his first loss of the season.

Josh Mooney (American Fork, UT/American Fork) and Rustin Sveum (Scottsdale, AZ/Desert Mountain) combined for 4.1 innings of quality relief before the Sea Lions posted seven runs in the ninth inning.

Dixie State took a 2-0 lead in the series final through five innings. Mitch Manning (Kaysville, UT/Davis) lined a double into right field scoring Cedric Johnson (Thatcher, AZ/Thatcher) in the fourth. Hanley scored in the next inning after a single, balk and sacrifice bunt place him at third. Kevin Kline (Las Vegas, NV/Rancho) singled to right for the run.

Point Loma scored an unearned run in the sixth inning before Kort Christofferson shut down a rally with a ground ball.

Holding on to a 2-1 lead, Christofferson induced a one-out ground ball with a runner on that could have closed out the game on a double play. The relay throw from second was low and the Sea Lions stayed alive. After a pinch-hit single, PLNU right fielder Mike Marcoux lined a two-run triple to right center pushing across the tying and go-ahead run.

The Red Storm went down in order in the seventh as the Sea Lions preserved the comeback win.

Eight different DSU players had hits in the finale. Austin Christiansen (Las Vegas, NV/Legacy (NV)) tossed 5.2 innings of three-hit baseball in his debut start of the year while striking out two.

Dixie State opens an eight-game conference road trip to Hawaii on Sunday with a doubleheader at UH Hilo. First pitch from Wong Stadium is at 4 p.m. on the Big Island (8 p.m. Mountain).

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