ST. GEORGE, Utah – In their first conference road series of the season, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs baseball team battled with No. 29 Dixie State University in a closely contested game that ended in favor of the Trailblazers at a final score of 6-1 at Bruce Hurst Field.
Both starting pitchers were able to produce quality starts as they each went past the fifth inning. Sophomore
Jonathan Cowles went a full six innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits and four walks with four strikeouts. Dixie State's Jayden Murray threw eight innings of work as he only allowed one run on five hits, no walks, and eight strikeouts.
On the offensive side of the ball, the top of the Mountain Lion lineup provided most of the offensive spark as
Matthew Clarke (2-for-4) and
Tyler Matheny (2-for-4) hit out of the leadoff spot and two hole, respectively, combining for four of the five hits.
Jake Anderson brought in the lone run for UCCS as he hit in Clarke with a sacrifice fly.
Dixie State put up the first run of the ball game after a fielding error in the second inning allowed an unearned run across for the Trailblazers with two outs. The Mountain Lions answered back in the top half of the third inning as Clarke reached base with a hard single to right field, with Matheny then moving Clarke to third base on a successful hit and run. A long fly ball to right field was able to bring Clarke across with Anderson notching his 16
th RBI of the season.
Later in the game, the Trailblazers supplied some situational hitting of their own as DSU recaptured the lead with a sacrifice fly ball in the fifth inning to retake the lead 2-1.
After two scoreless innings, Dixie State struck again in the eighth inning to add four insurance runs to their lead. In his second inning of relief,
Christian Manmano was able to fan the leadoff hitter for the first out. But DSU then strung together three consecutive hits, including a solo home run, and ended up registering four runs off five hits to bring the final score to 6-1.
The Mountain Lions had a hard time minimizing walks as they allowed six free passes on the base path. UCCS left five runners on base with three of those runs being stranded in scoring position.
With game one in the books, UCCS now looks to take on Dixie State in a double-header on Sunday as game one is set for 2 p.m.
