OAKLAND, Calif. – The Dixie State baseball team completed a four-game sweep of the Academy of Art Urban Knights with two wins (13-2 and 8-5) in Tuesday’s doubleheader. The wins propel the Storm to 17-5 overall and 5-3 in the PacWest.
The wins did not come without controversy, however, as the Storm did lose reliever Jeremy Alderman and head coach Chris Pfatenhauer in the second game. Both were ejected fromthe game. As a result, Alderman will be suspended for the next four games and Pfatenhauer the first game of the next series against Holy Names.
“Things got a little chippy in the second game,” said Pfatenhauer. “They had guys throwing at us. We had three guys hit by pitch. And they had one. Both teams were warned. We don’t operate that way, but Jeremy then hit another batter. I believe it was totally unintentional, but it is what it is.”
The ejections carry mandatory suspension penalties for both player and coach.
To further the damage done by losing Alderman for the next series, the initial day of games was rained out, causing the teams to play doubleheaders on Monday and Tuesday.
“We had plenty of rest for our four starters going into the next series,” said Pfatenhauer. “But with the change in scheduling, it puts us in a bind because some of our pitchers will not have the four-days rest between starts.”
In game one, Dixie State had great defense and field play, limiting the Knights to only six hits and zero runs over the first six innings. By the time the home team got a run across in the bottom of the seventh, the Storm already held a 7-0 lead. Dixie State added four more in the top of the eighth and outscored the Knights 6-2 over the final two innings for a 13-2 thrashing.
Dixie State outhit the Knights 14-10. Sam Hall and Trey Kamachi led the team with three RBIs each as five players had multiple hits. Hall hit a two-run shot to right in the fourth inning. Preston Hannay took the win to improve to 3-0. Hannay pitched six scoreless innings and recorded three Ks. Mark Marinch recorded the save.
In the nightcap, the Storm again took a 7-0 lead but did it in less time. After a scoreless first, Dixie State scored six in the top of the second. Cam Gust drew a walk to start. Trey Reineke then reached on a fielding error by the shortstop. Bryce Feist advanced the runners with a bunt sacrifice. Jake Davison then bunt sacrificed Gust home and Reineke to third. Reineke stole home for the second run.
Miles Bice was then hit by a pitch and then advanced to second on a balk. Tanner Morache then doubled to left center to score Bice. Drew McLaughlin then singled to left center to score Morache. Kamachi followed that with a double down the left field line to score McLaughlin. Kamachi scored when Sam Hall doubled to left field.
The Storm added a run in the third when Davison batted in Reineke with a single through the left side. The Knights had a big inning in the fourth, taking advantage of three walks and a Storm error to put up four runs.
Both teams added a run in the sixth. In the seventh, closer Kolton Brost gave up an initial walk before retiring the last three Knight batters to gain the save.
“We played really well offensively,” said Pfatenhauer. “We have gotten production from the entire lineup.”
With the loss, the Knights fall to 7-14 overall, 2-5 in the PacWest. The Storm will continue their road trip with four games this weekend against Holy Names University. The first game is scheduled for Thursday at 2 p.m. Pacific Time.
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