ST. GEORGE – The Dixie State baseball team started the first of a four-game series tonight against Fresno Pacific with a 7-3 victory at Bruce Hurst Field.
This is the last series of the season and DSU has already clinched the PacWest Conference title. But despite the “exhibition” nature of the series, the Red Storm jumped out to a 5-0 lead, putting up at least one run in each of the first four innings to seize control of the game.
Dixie got two in the first when Kevin Kline hit a two-run double to left field. In the second, Donald Glover scored from third on a double steal with runners on the corners. Ty Blair hit a solo shot to right-center field in the third to give the Red Storm a four-run advantage. Glover scored again in the fourth off a Ty Johnson double.
The Sunbirds put together four consecutive hits in the sixth to score two runs. They added their final run in the seventh off a Hunter Villanueva home run.
The Red Storm answered in the bottom of the inning with two insurance runs. Yuto Kata scored when Blair singled to left center. Trey Kamachi followed on Kris Kaplan’s sacrifice to right field.
Glover had a huge day with four hits and Blair and Kaplan had two each for the Red Storm. Chance Abrath got the win, going seven innings while striking out four and allowing three runs on six hits. Matt Hill pitched the final two innings for the save. J.D. Salles took the loss for the Sunbirds.
The win propels Dixie to 33-14 overall, 24-5 in conference play. The loss snaps a five-game winning streak for the Sunbirds as they fall to 30-17, 18-11 in the Pac West.
The two teams continue play Friday with a doubleheader before finishing the series on Saturday. Game time Friday for the first game begins at 4 p.m.
Stats: DSU 7, FPU 3
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