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Show : - - . - h A-:A V::- r-- .1 Southern Utah State's Brad Kilpatrick roars into home for a score against Grand Canyon College as teammate Jerry Crum looks on. The T-Birds won three games against the defending NAIA champion Antelopes. SU will be hosting the RMAC tournament beginning today. Thunderbirds fly high By MIKE CANNON Record Reporter Southern Utah State baseball did an abrupt and impressive about-face last week. After wallowing in mediocrity, losing a coach and losing to the weather, it all came together for the 'Birds. Defending NAIA baseball champion Grand Canyon College invaded Cedar City. The 'Lopes are currently ranked in the top-ten nationally and figured to be all SU could handle and then some. Somebody forgot to tell this to a converted football coach and his naive squad. They preceded to thump the Antelopes and win three games of the four game series. And the way they did it! A Houston versus Philadelphia playoff series couldn't have been more exciting. After an opening game drubbing, 13-6, 13-6, things were looking as one would expect. Grand Canyon collected sixteen hits, including seven home runs. SU pitching, which was suspect wasn't suprising anyone. Things turned around in the second contest. Russ Turner belted a three-run homer to give Southern Utah a 3-0 lead. The 'Birds picked up another in the third on Pat Kilgore's double, and got five more in the fourth. The fourth inning rally was keyed by Randy Poitevint's two-run single and a two-run two-run double by Turner. Grand Canyon rallied and loaded the bases in the sixth inning with two out. SU reliever Derron Garrick hung on and struck-out the side. In the seventh, Garrick gave up two solo home runs, then buckled down to preserve a 9-8 win. Thursday saw Southern Utah sweep two games from the tough Antelopes in what had to be the finest day for SU baseball in some time. Gary Cowart smacked a two-out, two-run two-run homer in the last of the seventh inning to give the T Birds the victory in the second game. Earlier in the game he had hit a solo shot. Southern Utah trailed by three in the early going, but mustered three runs in the fifth to tie the score. A Grand Canyon homer in the seventh put the Antelopes up one before Cowart did his thing in the bottom of the inning. Kevin Donner turned in a fine complete game performance to earn the victory. In the first game, Scott Burgerhouse went the distance for Southern Utah to notch the win while allowing only six hits. The T-Birds collected five runs on eight hits while holding the Antelopes to only two runs behind Bergerhouse. Friday and Saturday provided no relief for the T-Birds as a tough Big Sky Conference opponent, Northern Arizona University, came to town for two twin-bills. Friday SUSC was handcuffed by number one Lumberjack hurler Kiernan Ronan in the first encounter and then by a fine relief job at the hands of Kirk Primus in the second. NAU captured two close contests by scores of 5-3 and 4-3. Primus allowed just three hits in six innings of relief in the second game. SU's Don Gubler and reliever Derron Garrick combined to allow only four hits in the losing cause. In Saturday's opener, Southern Utah quickly moved to a 3-0 lead. Randy Poitevint followed a Curt Peterson single and a walk to Pat Kilgore with a triple, driving in two runs. Mark Johnson then singled home Poitevint. The Thunderbirds picked up four more runs in the third off three hits and two Lumberjack errors. Gary Cowart provided the big blow of the inning with a two-run double. Northern Arizona exploded for five runs in the fourth inning. The score stood at 7-6 before Derron Garrick came in to relieve Dave Middleton. Garrick hung on to preserve the 7-6 win. Scott Bergerhouse went the distance in the second game to record his second complete-game victory in only three days. Bergerhouse threw a six hitter and limited NAU to only one run. SUSC scored a run in the sixth to break a 1-1 deadlock. Bergerhouse allowed a hit in the seventh but settled down to retire the side. Shortstop Frank Esposito handled two ground-balls and a pop-fly to put the Lumberjacks away. Local fans will have a chance to see the high-flying 'Birds in action this week as they host the RMAC conference con-ference tournament. Games will be played today, tomorrow and Saturday at the Cedar City ballpark and SUSC diamond. |