SUU offense too much for Jacks

Thursday, April 22

Cedar City, Utah

3 p.m. MT

South Dakota State University

Southern Utah

4/22/2010 9:00:00 PM | Baseball

By: SDSU Sports Info

CEDAR CITY, Utah - Southern Utah collected 22 hits, including a pair of home runs by Joe Goldenberg, to defeat South Dakota State, 11-5, Thursday afternoon in the opening game of a four-game Summit League baseball series.

The Thunderbirds improved to 11-25 overall and 4-5 in Summit League play. SDSU, which dropped its third consecutive league contest, fell to 21-12 overall and 6-3 in The Summit League.

SUU and Goldenberg set the tone in the bottom of the first inning. After a Bucky Aona run-scoring single, Goldenberg hit a three-run home run to center field to put the Thunderbirds out front 4-0.

The Thunderbirds added a pair of runs on six hits in the second inning, but had two runners thrown out at home and another runner retired on interference.

SDSU trimmed the margin to 6-3 in the third inning as Billy Stitz tripled to left-center field and later scored on a Beau Hanowski double. Jesse Sawyer delivered a sacrifice fly later in the frame to score Hanowski.

After SUU added a run in the third inning, the Jackrabbits pulled to within two, 7-5, with a two-run sixth inning. Stitz doubled in the first run against reliever Braden Yardley and Hanowski plated the other run with an RBI groundout.

Goldenberg, who was 3-for-5 with four RBI, hit his second home run of the game to lead off the seventh inning and the Thunderbirds closed out their scoring later in the frame on a two-run double by Bo Cuthbertson.

Matt Sanford was 4-for-5 to lead SUU's offensive attack.

Stitz, who started at second base for the first time in his career, was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle as he ended the day 4-for-5. Sawyer and Daniel Telford each tallied two of the Jackrabbits' 11 hits.

SUU starter Steve Johnson picked up the victory after pitching 5 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out one, while allowing eight hits. Yardley hurled the final 3 2/3 innings to earn his second save of the season.

Sam Pieczynski had his four-game winning streak end for SDSU as he surrendered all 11 runs in 6 2/3 innings. The senior right-hander struck out three and walked one.

The two teams are slated to play a doubleheader Friday afternoon, starting at noon Mountain Time (1 p.m. Central).

NOTES: Southern Utah leads the all-time series 6-5, including 4-1 in Cedar City ... Stitz's double was his 18^th of the season, putting him three away from the single-season school record of 21 set by teammate Joel Blake in 2009 ... John Lee had his hitting streak snapped at 10 games ... Blake Treinen (3-0) and Stephen Bougher (1-2) are the scheduled starters for SDSU in Friday's doubleheader

SOUTHERN UTAH 11, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 5
SDSU 003 002 000 ‑ 5 11 2
SUU 421 001 30X - 11 22 2
SDSU: Sam Pieczynski, Blaine Alberta (7) and Zach Briggs. SUU: Steve Johnson, Braden Yardley (6) and Joe Goldenberg.
W-Johnson (3-3). L-Pieczynski (4-2). SV-Yardley (2).
HR: SUU-Goldenberg 2.