Junior infielder Drew McLaughlin (Scottsdale, Ariz./Desert Mountain HS) drove home the winning run with a bases-loaded infield single in the 10^th inning to lead Dixie State to dramatic 10-9 victory over Montana State Billings Sunday afternoon at Bruce Hurst Field. The Storm improved to 8-0 on the season, which is the program's best overall start in DSU's NCAA Division II era.

DSU led 4-1 after two innings, thanks to a pair of runs in the first and consecutive RBI-hits from sophomore catcher Jake Davison (Taylorsville, Utah/Taylorsville HS) and junior OF Jerome Hill II (Pittsburg, Calif./Pittsburg HS) in the second frame. The Yellowjackets would erase the Storm's lead with a five-run fourth inning, however DSU managed claw back with a run in the its half of the fourth on a Tanner Morache (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada/Surrey HS) RBI-single, and would reclaim the lead at 7-6 with two more runs in the fifth inning.

MSUB drew even with a run in the sixth, but the Storm answered with a Ryan Rodriguez (Folsom, Calif./Vista Del Lago HS) RBI-groundout to jump back on top at 8-7. DSU then plated an insurance run in the eighth as junior reserve OF Miles Bice (Henderson, Nev./Coronado HS) executed a perfect suicide-squeeze bunt, which brought home junior RF Trey Kamachi (Kapolei, Hawai'i/Kapolei HS) from third, to extend the lead to 9-7.

That insurance run was needed at MSUB mounted a ninth-inning rally as the Yellowjackets loaded the bases with one out on a pair of hits and a hit batter. MSUB cut the deficit in half one batter later after another hit batter, then tied the score at 9-9 on a two-out Zach Robinson infield single that glanced off of DSU reliever Spencer Greer (Woodinville, Wash./Woodinville HS)'s glove after the senior tried to spear the sharp comebacker.

Greer (W, 1-0) then recorded the final out in the ninth and retired MSUB in order in the 10^th. Hill II was hit by a pitch to lead off the Storm 10^th inning, then advanced to second on a wild pitch, and took third on another wild pitch on a swinging strikeout by Morache, who raced all the way around to second as the ball skipped to the back stop. Then after a Kamachi walk to load the bases with still no outs in the frame, McLauglin grounded a Steen Fredrickson (L, 0-1) pitch in the hole between first and second base and the drawn-in infield could not come up with the ball to get Hill II at the plate before he scored the winning run to end the game.

"Our guys showed a lot of fight and toughness today," DSU Head Coach Chris Pfatenhauer said. "Things have gone fairly smooth for them up to this point and they responded to the adversity. We really need to clean our defense up, but we will get back to work Tuesday and continue to get better - each day and each week."

DSU outhit MSUB 15-13, led by McLaughlin who went 4-for-6 with the game-winning RBI and two runs scored. Meanwhile Hill II collected a season-high three hits in four trips with an RBI and two runs scored, and Morache and Rodriguez finished with two hits apiece. Dixie State won despite committing a season-high five errors, this after committing just two error in its last three games played over the weekend.

Dixie State concludes its 10-game season-opening homestand next weekend with a pair of games, beginning with a date vs. Minot State on Friday, Feb. 19, at 4 p.m., followed by a match-up against Saint Martin's on Sunday, Feb. 21, at 12 noon. MSU and SMU will also play a three-game series at Bruce Hurst Field, with a single game Friday at 12 noon, and a doubleheader Saturday also beginning at 12 noon.