ST. GEORGE – Junior first-baseman Tyson Littlewood broke a 2-2 stalemate in the 10th inning by blasting a grand slam to left field to give the Dixie State baseball team a 6-2 win over CSU San Bernardino in non-conference play Saturday.
The Red Storm (3-2) earned their first series won of the 2011 campaign winning two out of three weekend contests with the Coyotes (2-4).
Junior reliever Daniel Zapata got the win (1-0) in relief after retiring all six batters he faced over two innings.
Littlewood’s game-winner became a reality in the 10th after a lead-off walk from Quinn Boyer, a clutch two-strike single from Colton Yack and the Coyotes’ decision to intentionally walk Joe Andrade. With a 2-2 count, Littlewood lifted a fastball from Lucas Stanford over the wall in left and found his teammates surrounding home plate for a celebration.
CSUSB got on the board in the first inning. Matt Winn tripled home Davis Silvas and later scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead.
DSC answered in the second. Littlewood drew a walk and Jordan Hanley singled to left. After two outs, Tony Nelson extended the inning with an infield single to bring Ammon Zitting to the plate. With a full count against CSUSB starter Cory Caruso, Zitting lined a two-run single to left field tying the game.
Both teams had opportunities in regulation to take the lead. The Coyotes stranded the bases loaded in the seventh after DSC reliever Kyle DiMartino struck out Virgil Chavira in support of starting pitcher Mike Dedrick.
Dixie State College returns to action Friday at 1 p.m. against Mesa State College for a doubleheader. The games will be the first of a four-game over two day series.