Rebels trample Eagles in 3-1 series

By Sun Advocate

College of Eastern Utah won game one last Friday, April 8, against Dixie State College, shutting out the Rebels with a 3-0 win. CEU lost the net three games, losing 0-4 in game two and losing on Saturday, 8-16 and 1-12 in games three and four.
A double-base hit by Danny Cornia in game one brought a runner in for CEU in the bottom of the first. With a home run by Brett Nigbur in the bottom of the third, CEU scored another two runs. Colton Ray, Mitch Ramsdell and Nigbur each scored one run.
The Rebels hit six, with a double by Tyler Hardt, but with excellent fielding by the Eagles, five of those hitters were left on base. CEU had no errors and one double play.
Sophomore pitcher Zac Dinkins pitched six innings,with no runs or errors and striking out Rebel right fielder Joe Wright. Freshman Riley Gordon relieved Dinkins for the last inning. Gordon allowed one hit and walked one batter.
Dixie’s Chad Povich allowed all three runs, committing two errors before he was relieved in the sixth by Todd Morlock, who pitched a no-hit seventh, striking out all three batters he faced.
“We played really good,” said Scott Madsen, head coach for the Golden Eagles. But that good play did not translate to more wins for the rest of the weekend.
The Rebels rebounded in game two, shutting the Eagles out 4-0. The game became a mirror of game one with Dixie’s Colt Sedbrock and Fred Fergusen hitting homers in the fourth and fifth. The Rebels had a double play and kept four hits by CEU from turning into runs.
Kyle Graham pitched the first four innings before being switched out for Bryan Smith. Graham allowed four runs and five hits, committing four errors. Smith pitched a no-hit sixth and seventh, but the Eagles were unable to rebound.
Game three was a high-scoring game for both teams. Dixie was in the territory for an easy win after scoring two runs in the first, one in the second and five in the third. Still scoreless at the bottom of the fourth, CEU scored six runs in that inning. The Rebels responded with two runs in that inning and three more in the seventh, taking a 16-8 win.
Dixie’s Tyler Hardt, Nick Beghtol, Chad Barben, Ray Wright and Brett Adams all had homers. Sedbrock had two doubles and three singles. Adams had a double and a single.
CEU went through most of its pitching staff with Hanson Perkins, Chris Donoghue, Jeremy Lambson, Soren Mundt, Levi Watts and Mitch Ramsdell all pitching against the seemingly unstoppable Rebels.
Dixie’s Jeff Kupfer pitched three innings. After allowing three runs in the fourth, he was replaced by Trevor Lyon, who allowed three more runs before getting an out. Josh Fullington finished the fourth and kept the Eagles from scoring again until the seventh.
The weekend finished with another devastating loss by the Eagles. Dixie scored a run in the first, and four in the second before the Eagles had their one run for the game, thanks to a double by Colston Robinson, who was hit in by Ramsdell.
Dixie had a triple by Sedbrock and doubles by Hardt and Rose.
Kyle Killian pitched four innings, allowing five hits. With five errors, each of those hits turned into runs. He was followed by Smith, who pitched a full inning, and showing the same five-hit, five-run, five error scenario. With one out left in the sixth, Gordon allowed just three runs for the rest of the game, committing two errors and allowing two hits.
Chris Reap pitched all seven innings for the Rebels, allowing a mere four hits and and committing no errors.
The win leaves CEU fifth in the conference with a 5-22 record. With 12 games left this season, and the fourth-ranked College of Southern Idaho Eagles 11 wins ahead of CEU, the chances of CEU advancing are slim. The best they can hope for is a few more wins to keep them ahead of Colorado Northwestern, who stands at 1-28.
CEU faces CNCC this weekend in Rangely, Colo., in a pair of double-headers Friday and Saturday. CNCC’s one win was against CEU in Price.