Dixie State completed the four-game sweep of its season-opening weekend series with Cal State San Bernardino with a 10-2 victory over the Coyotes Sunday afternoon at Bruce Hurst Field.
The Coyotes (2-5) jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning when CSUSB DH Jake Caron doubled home a run with two outs off of Storm starter
Chance Abrath (Salt Lake City, Utah/West HS). DSU (4-0) answered with three runs in the home half of the third thanks to RBI-singles from juniors
Drew McLaughlin (Scottsdale, Ariz./Desert Mountain HS) and
Ryan Rodriguez (Folsom, Calif./Vista Del Lago HS), and a run-scoring groundout from senior 1B
Samuel Hall (Ogden, Utah/Bonneville HS).
Meanwhile Abrath (W, 1-0) shook off that early run as he fanned six of the first 11 batters he faced, including striking out the side in the second inning. The senior righthander pitched five solid innings overall, limiting the Coyotes to just that one run on four hits with seven strikeouts to pick up the win in his season debut.
McLaughlin padded the Storm's lead with another RBI-hit in the fifth, and after the CSUSB countered with a run of its own in the seventh to trim the deficit to 4-2, DSU put the game on ice with a decisive six-run eighth inning. The Storm sent 10 men to the plate in the frame and pounded out five hits, and was the beneficiary of four walks and balk. Junior OF
Miles Bice (Henderson, Nev./Coronado HS) drove home a pair of runs with a double down the left field line, while senior SS
Tanner Morache (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada/Surrey HS), McLaughlin and Hall each collected RBI-hits the in rally.
The Storm bullpen held the Coyotes in check the rest of the way as well, as five relievers combined to hold CS San Bernardino to just one unearned run and two hits over the final four innings of play.
"We really pitched well, starters and relievers," DSU Head Coach
Chris Pfatenhauer said. "Each guy has a role and each of them were effective. We are really proud of our offense and the way each guy managed their at-bats throughout the weekend. Guys understand that it is a team offense and when it works we can be really good from an offense side."
DSU outhit the Coyotes 11-6, with Morache and McLaughlin each collecting three hits. McLaughlin also drove home three runs, while Hall finished with two RBI.
Dixie State continues its 10-game homestand this upcoming weekend as the Storm plays a pair of games against Northwest Nazarene on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 12-13, and two games vs. Montana State Billings on Friday Feb. 12, and Sunday Feb. 14. Bruce Hurst Field, along with nearby Dixie High School, will also be the site of several other round-robin games featuring MSUB, NNU and PacWest member Holy Names. Please visit dixieathletics.com for a complete schedule of game sites and times.
