Warriors use power in 18-7 win over Dixie State

4-4-08

ST. GEORGE, Utah – In a game that saw seven home runs, the Lewis-Clark State College baseball team slugged its way to an 18-7 win over Dixie State College in the first of a three game series on Friday. 

The Warriors connected for four home runs, while the Rebels drove three over the wall. 

Kyle Greene continues to lead the Warriors at the plate as he went 5-for-6 with a home run, a double, and three RBI. He currently has a team leading nine home runs and a .467 average on the season.  

LCSC, which swept Dixie State in a three game series in March at Harris Field, improves to 29-2 on the season and extends its winning streak to 23. Twenty-three straight wins ties for the third longest winning streak in program history. LCSC won 27 straight in 1986, and 26 straight in 2006. Dixie State, which was riding a six game winning streak, drops to 19-16. 

Although Greene, Brian Ward, Sean Halton, and Ikaika Lester each had a home run, Dixie State managed to keep the game close in the early innings by answering with three home runs of its own—the most Warrior pitching has given up in a game all season. However, in the end, LCSC’s 22 hits and strong efforts from relievers Justin Mace and Kevin Camacho was enough to put the game out of reach. 

Greene jump started the Warrior offense with a solo home run to centerfield in the top of the first inning. Dixie State’s Kyle Pratt then answered with a solo home run of his own in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 1-1.  

In the second, the Rebels used five hits to go ahead 4-1.  

This lead proved to be short lived, however, as five Warrior hits, including two from Greene and a three-run home run from Brian Ward, gave the Warriors a nine run third inning and a 10-4 lead. 

Mark Rose and Frans Meyer both hit solo shots for Dixie State in the bottom of the third, but it simply was not enough as the Warriors continued to tack on runs and widen their lead. In the fifth inning, four hits drove in three more Warrior runs, in the seventh Lester knocked a solo home run to left field, and in the eighth Halton unloaded a three-run blast to reach the final score of 18-7.  

Warrior starting pitcher Blaine Hardy, who last week was named the NAIA’s Region I Pitcher of the Week, saw his outing come to a close when he gave up five hits in the second inning. Matt Stabelfeld came on in relief and used a ground ball double play to get out of the jam in the second inning, but then, after giving up two home runs in the third, was replaced an inning later by Justin Mace.  

Mace went four innings, struck out two, and gave up only one run to hand the ball over to Kevin Camacho who pitched the final two innings without surrendering a run. Mace was awarded the win.  

The series continues with a 4 p.m. game on Saturday and an 11 a.m. game Sunday.