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Southern Utah Posts Doubleheader Sweep with Late Inning Heroics

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Game 1    Game 2

CEDAR CITY, Utah - Southern Utah capped off a doubleheader sweep of the Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros with a walk-off two-run home run by Cameron Nelson in game one and an RBI from Jacob Romney, scoring the deciding run in game two.  The wins improve the Thunderbirds to 10-10 on the year, while CSUDH drops to 12-23.

In game one, Southern Utah built a quick 5-0 lead after the third inning, chasing away Toros' starter Nick Drake during the third.

The Thunderbirds began the scoring with a two-run home run in the second inning by Derek Pena, marking his first round tripper this season.  SUU's Nick Freitas tallied his team-leading 11th stolen base of the inning, advancing to third, but wasn't able to cross the plate as the inning ended with a fly ball to left field.

Southern Utah added its other three runs in the home half of the third inning as Ray Wright and Chester Wilson began the inning with back-to-back singles.  Both crossed the plate later on in the inning with R. Wright crossing on a wild pitch and Wilson advancing on an error by the shortstop.

Joe Wright scored the final run of the frame as the Thunderbirds executed a double steal.  Mac Nelson froze mid-stride on his way to second base, holding up the second baseman and then advanced to third on an errant throw. 

Wright ultimately scored during the exchange as the second baseman's throw was off target to the catcher.

Dominguez Hills chipped into the lead in the fifth with a two-run double by lead-off hitter Candelario Flores.  The Toros added two more as Southern Utah made a pitching change in the seventh inning, bringing in Kyle Hamman.

The inning began well with a strikeout by CSUDH's Chris Hunter, but the runner advanced to first on a throwing error by Nelson after a wild pitch.  Hunter made his way around the bases for one run during the inning and a triple by Daniel Hartman scored the other.  At the end of the seventh, Southern Utah held onto a narrow 5-4 lead.

The Toros jumped out on top in the very next inning with back-to-back doubles and an RBI single and then blanked the Thunderbirds in the home half of the inning to take a 6-5 lead going into the ninth inning.

Dominguez Hills put a runner on second with two outs in the top of the ninth, but Keli'i Zablan took to the mound and struck out the final batter to retire the side.  Southern Utah entered the bottom of the ninth still down a run as Freitas led off the inning going down swinging.

However, Zablan then reached first base on a fielding error, one of four on the afternoon for the Toros, by the shortstop.  C. Nelson teased the crowd with a towering shot that drifted foul in the next at bat, but two pitches later ripped a walk-off home run over the left field fence to give the Thunderbirds the 7-6 come-from-behind win.

Zablan earned the win on the mound with his one-out showing while CSUDH's David Leyva was credited with the loss in 6.1 innings, allowing three runs (one earned) and five strikeouts.

In game two, Dominguez Hills came roaring out the gates, scoring 11 runs in the first four innings to the Thunderbirds' five.  Southern Utah starter Kyle Melling lasted only 1.1 innings, allowing eight runs (six earned) including a three-run home run in the top of the first.

Southern Utah matched the Toros' first inning runs with three runs of its own in the bottom of the inning after a two-run double by C. Nelson scored Freitas and Zablan.  C. Nelson later crossed the plate on an RBI ground ball by Chester Wilson.

The Thunderbirds added the other two runs in the bottom of the third on a strong hustle play by back-up right fielder Matt Sanford.  The sophomore blasted a double to center field to score Nelson from second and then advanced across the plate with an inside-the-park home run as the centerfielder misplayed the ball.  The play marked the second inside-the-park home run of the day after SUU errors led to a similar situation for CSUDH in the second inning.

Southern Utah faced a large 11-5 deficit going into the bottom of the fourth, but quickly evened things up with six runs in the inning.

The frame began with Ford advancing to first after being hit and then advancing to third on a Freitas double.  Zablan matched the double in the next at bat to score both.  C. Nelson then doubled to score Zablan from second and later crossed the plate along with Sanford on a fielding error by the third baseman that sent the ball into the outfield.  SUU scored its final run of the inning as Ford came to the plate for the second time in the inning and knocked a one-run single to left field.

Neither team put points on the board in the fifth, but the Toros regained the lead in the sixth inning after a lead-off double, followed by a single put the visitors up 12-11 with no answer from the Thunderbirds in the bottom of the inning.

The lack of runs in the bottom of the inning wasn't without effort as Southern Utah had men on first and second with no outs and then first and third with two outs.  However, nothing came of it with an inning-ending strike out.

Southern Utah held off on its heroics, once again, for the final frame as Freitas blasted his third lead-off home run of the series to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh.  With the bases juiced and two outs, Jacob Romney stepped to the plate and sent a sharp grounder to the third-base side that was misplayed by the third baseman, scoring the winning run.

The teams combined for 25 runs in the 13-12 win for the Thunderbirds with Jacob Noyes collecting the win after forcing an inning-ending double play in the seventh.  CSUDH's David Fair was credited with the loss after three innings, allowing two runs (one earned), four hits, two walks and striking out three.

Both squads will be back at it again tomorrow afternoon in the final game of the four-game series, beginning at Noon.
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