By: Chris Pisar
PALM SPRINGS, CA — The POWER (9-0, 1-0) kicked off league play with an 8-2 victory over the Inland Valley Pirates (7-2, 3-1) at Palm Springs Stadium on Tuesday.
Left-hander Hayden Rogers (BYU) tossed eight innings giving up just one run and striking out five en route to his second victory of the season.
“I felt like I really pounded the zone tonight and pitched to contact,” said Rogers. “It’s what I really wanted to do.”
Centerfielder Jake Howeth (Texas-Wesleyan) paced the Palm Springs offense going 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
La Quinta-native Scotty Burcham (Sacramento State) chipped in with two hits, two runs, an RBI and a stolen base.
Palm Springs trailed 1-0 after 2 ½ innings following an RBI single from Andrew Alvarez (Houston Baptist) that brought home Greg Espinosa (Houston Baptist).
That lead was short lived as the POWER plated two runs of their own in the bottom half of the frame with RBIs by Howeth and Nate Pollock (Western Illinois).
The red-and-white would score four more runs in the fourth and two more in the sixth to put the game out of reach.
These two teams go back at it again tomorrow on Dollar Admission Night at the ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm.