Storm sweep Lopes in Friday twinbill

Kline homers twice in nightcap

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Tweet #DixieBase

SAINT GEORGE, Utah – The Dixie State baseball teams picked up a pair of wins Friday, defeating No. 10 Grand Canyon 3-1 in a Pacific West Conference game and 4-3 in a nonconference tilt at Bruce Hurst Field.

The Red Storm used one big inning and clutch relief pitching in game one while Kevin Kline (Las Vegas, NV/Rancho) blasted two home runs in the nightcap to improve to 26-9 overall and 18-8 in the PacWest. Grand Canyon's losing skid extends to four games to drop to 29-9 on the year, 22-4 in the PWC.

Sam Friend (Las Vegas, NV/Centennial) surrendered one run on four hits over four innings before bowing out with back issues. Rustin Svuem retired the Lopes in order in the top of the fifth before DSU struck against GCU starter Colby Bruns.

Ty Johnson (Thousand Oaks, CA/Millennium) led off with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. DSU skipper knew the importance of the runner and swapped in Matt Medina (Tooele, UT/Tooele). Yuto Kata (Chiba, Japan/Juan Diego (Utah)) added an infield single to put runners at the corners. Jordan Hanley (Las Vegas. NV/Bonanza) laid down a bunt to first allowing Medina to slide safely into home ahead of the catcher's tag to tie the game.

Colton Yack (South Jordan, UT/Bingham) gave Dixie State the lead with an RBI single through the right side and Kline added an RBI double to cap off the three-run frame.

Bryce Anderson (Cedar City, UT/Cedar HS) and Josh Mooney (American Fork, UT/American Fork) struck out two to hold GCU scoreless over the final two innings. Mooney earned his seventh save to give Sveum his first collegiate victory.

Bruns took his first loss to drop to 7-1.

In the nightcap, Kline took over. After leadoff walks in the bottom of the first to Hanley and Yack, the slugger blasted a three-run homer off Andrew Nederer (L, 6-2) for a 3-1 lead.

The Lopes tied the game 3-3 in the next inning, but Austin Christiansen (Las Vegas, NV/Legacy (NV)) settled down. He held the Lopes scoreless over the last five innings.

Kline lined a leadoff homer, the eventual game-winner, to left in the bottom of the third.

Christiansen tossed his second complete game of the year (6-1) – scattering three runs on eight hits while striking out three. Hanley joined Kline with a multi-hit game.

Dixie State looks for the sweep in a nonconference, nine-inning game Saturday at 11 a.m. Kody Christoffersen (Ogden, UT/Weber) is expected to get the call on the hill for DSU.

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