Ryan Rodriguez homered twice and drove in a career-high five RBIs to lead a potent Trailblazer offensive attack as No. 13 Dixie State blanked Concordia (OR), 17-0, on Thursday night at Bruce Hurst Field.
Dixie State (6-3) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning thanks to consecutive RBI singles from Bryce Feist and Drew McLaughlin, before breaking the game open in the third with five runs to extend to a 7-0 advantage. Rodriguez kick-started the rally with a two-run blast to right field to cash in a leadoff single from Miles Bice. Feist tacked on another run with a sacrifice fly, while Tyler Mildenberg tripled home McLaughlin with the fourth run of the frame. Trey Kamachi capped the rally with a single through the right side to plate Mildenberg.
DSU then put the game on ice with a seven-run fifth inning, which included a two-run double from Rodriguez and RBIs from Feist, McLaughlin and Mildenberg, as the Trailblazers sent 11 batters to plate. Dixie State tacked on two more runs in the sixth on a leadoff homer from Reece Lucero and a Kamachi sacrifice fly, and Rodriguez capped the night with an opposite-field home run to right field in the seventh.
The season-high 17 runs scored were more than enough for the Trailblazer pitching staff as three hurlers combined to limit Concordia (1-7) to just four hits en route to the team’s first shutout of the year. Junior lefthander Matt Mosca (3-0) struck out five and allowed just two hits in five solid innings to pick up his third win in as many starts to open the season.
Rodriguez, who reached base safely in all six plate appearances on the night, finished a triple shy of the cycle as he went 4-for-4 with a career-best four runs scored. In addition, McLaughlin and Tyler Baker each collected three hits and three runs scored, while Feist finished with two hits and three RBIs. All nine starters in the DSUlineupp finished with at least one hit, while eight of the nine had at least two safeties, as Dixie State finished with a season-high 23 hits for the game.
Dixie State next hosts Saint Martin’s for two games this weekend, starting with a date Friday at 4 p.m., and again Saturday at 7 p.m., at Bruce Hurst Field.
Steve Johnson is the Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations and Collegiate Licensing at Dixie State University. For more DSU Athletics news, please visit www.dixieathletics.com and follow Dixie State on Twitter at @DixieAthletics.