CEDAR CITY, Utah - March 27 - Southern Utah combined solid pitching and a strong offense, including two home runs from junior transfer Nick Freitas, to post a 6-3 victory over the Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros in game one of a four-game series Thursday afternoon. The win improves the Thunderbirds to 8-10 on the season while CSUDH drops to 12-22.

"We've tried to put Nick in the No. 3 and No. 5 spot to use his power, but we moved him to lead-off to get some line drives and to get his speed on the bases," head coach David Eldredge said after the game. "It's ironic today that he hits two home runs, but he made some adjustments in practice this week and it really paid off."

Freitas began the game with a lead-off home run to immediately put the Thunderbirds up 1-0 before the fifth pitch was thrown. The game blurred by for the next four innings, until CSUDH captured the lead with a two-run fifth inning.

SUU starter Dustin Wittwer tried to bare hand a bounding ground ball to the mound that put a man on first, with the runner advancing across home plate during the next at bat on a triple. A sacrifice fly scored the second run of the inning.

"I thought Witt (Dustin Wittwer) did a great job today," Eldredge said of the start. "He's been kind of so-so the last couple of times, but looked to be back at it today. My only concern was that he gave up too many two-strike hits."

Southern Utah answered the two runs in the bottom half of the inning as Bucky Aona and Jacob Romney crossed the plate on a Colby Ford single to right field. The two-run inning put the Thunderbirds back up 3-2, but the lead was short lived as Dominguez Hills tied the game with a run in the top of the sixth.

The Toros' leading home run hitter, Cody Puckett, struck a ball over the left-field fence for the run and his tenth home run of the year.

Not to be outdone, Freitas led off the sixth with a home run of his own, marking his second free trip around the bases during the afternoon. Cameron Nelson came from second on a Ray Wright double to score the second run of the inning. R. Wright scored the final run for the Thunderbirds on Aona's single down the left-field line, marking the fifth hit of the inning. The three-run frame put the Thunderbirds back on top with the 6-3 lead, that would ultimately become the final score.

Dominquez Hills dodged a bullet in the eight inning as SUU loaded the bases with only one out, but wasn't able to bring a run across the plate after a pop fly and ground ball ended the inning.

Keli'i Zablan punctuated the Thunderbird win in the top of the ninth by striking out the side to earn his first save of the year after playing the first eight innings at second base.

The teams will be back on the field tomorrow for games two and three with the doubleheader beginning at Noon. Game one of the doubleheader is scheduled for a full nine innings, with game two going only seven.