DSC/HPU Split Series Opening Doubleheader
HPU edges game one 4-3; DSC hangs on for 3-2 win
John Potter, Assistant Sports Information
3/14/2010 8:26:42 PM
ST. GEORGE, UTAH – Dixie State College’s baseball team spilt two games with Pac West leader Hawaii Pacific on Sunday afternoon at Bruce Hurst Field. The Sea Warriors claimed the opener in extra innings 4-3 and the Red Storm withstood a late HPU surge to defeat the visitors 3-2 in the nightcap.
With the split, Dixie State (11-7, 6-4 PWC) remained within striking distance at two games back of Hawaii Pacific (13-4, 8-2 PWC) in the league standings.
DSC’s Justin Prodan (Rohnert Park, CA/Rancho Cotate) and HPU’s Michael Greene went toe-to-toe as the starters in game one. Each held their opponent scoreless until the long ball factored in the sixth.
Kale Sumner lifted a Prodan pitch over the wall in left giving HPU a 3-0 lead in the top half of the sixth, only to see Drew Oldfield (Aurora, CO/Rangeview) knot the game with a three-run bomb to right-center in the home half of the same frame.
HPU struck in the first extra inning when Baj Nooij’s RBI single plated Sean Winston for the eventual game winner. Dixie State had a chance to counter, but Brett Adams (Sandy. UT/Alta HS) struck out with two on and two out to end the game.
Greene earned his third season win scattering three runs on three hits in 7.2 innings. Prodan dropped to 2-3 on the year allowing four runs, but tied the Dixie State school record for strikeouts in a game with 11 tying the mark of Cody Hanson two seasons ago.
The nightcap saw freshman Troy Hunter (Las Vegas, NV/Centennial) outduel Caelan O’Meara – the Pac West Preseason Pitcher of the Year. Hunter gave up an unearned run on six hits in five innings to improve his record to 2-1.
Dixie State got single runs in the third and fourth on RBI groundouts from Ammon Zitting (Pleasant Grove. UT/Lone Peak) and Judd Jensen (Taylorsville, UT/Taylorsville). The Storm added a critical insurance run off O’Meara (L, 2-1) in the sixth after a Chase Pittsenbarger (Las Vegas, NV/Las Vegas) doubled knocked in Adams from third.
HPU cut the lead to one with a Sumner sac fly in the seventh. Todd Morlock (Magna, UT /Taylorsville) nailed down the save (4) getting DH Kiley Kawazoe to line out.
Adams and Pittsenbarger each had two hits in support of Hunter, Lane Kirby (Las Vegas, NV/Palo Verde) and Morlock in game two.
Dixie State and Hawaii Pacific return to action Monday afternoon at 1:00pm for another doubleheader – a pair of seven-inning contests.
Live radio coverage from Bruce Hurst Field begins at 12:50pm with the “Voice of the Red Storm” John Potter on Classical 91.3 FM and Network1Sports.com.