No. 10/13 Dixie State scored 10 runs in its final three offensive innings to rally for a hard-fought 13-12 victory at No. 3/3 Colorado Mesa Sunday afternoon in Grand Junction. With the win the Storm (12-2) salvaged a split of the four-game weekend series between the two ranked teams.

DSU jumped out to a quick lead with three first-inning runs on a double play, a balk and an RBI-single from junior catcher Reece Lucero (Albuquerque, N.M./La Cueva HS). The Mavericks (8-3) would answer with a pair of runs in the second and three more in the fourth, with the big blow coming on a two-run home run to right field by outfielder Alex Fife, which staked CMU to a 5-3 lead.

After Colorado Mesa tacked on another run in the sixth, the Storm erupted for six runs in the seventh to reclaim the lead at 9-6. DSU loaded the bases with no outs and senior shortstop Tanner Morache (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada/Surrey HS) cashed in the chance with a two-run double to left field. Then following a Trey Kamachi (Kapolei, Hawai'i/Kapolei HS) walk, junior second baseman Drew McLaughlin (Scottsdale, Ariz./Desert Mountain HS) doubled home two more runs, while Bryce Feist (Emmett, Idaho/Rocky Mountain HS) drove home a run on a sacrifice fly and Lucero brought home another run on an infield single to cap the rally.

Dixie State kept the momentum rolling in the eighth with three more runs as Morache connected for another RBI-double and would come around to score on a pair of wild pitches. Then after consecutive singles from Kamachi and McLaughlin, Feist flew out to right field to bring home Kamachi to give DSU a 12-6 lead.

However that lead would be short-lived as the Mavericks rallied for six runs on six hits in the home half of the frame to knot the score at 12-12. CMU had a chance to take the lead on a two-out Storm error, but McLaughlin recovered the ball and fired it home to reserve catcher Jake Davison (Taylorsville, Utah/Taylorsville HS) to cut down the potential go-ahead run at the plate to preserve the tie.

In the Dixie State ninth, junior outfielder Miles Bice (Henderson, Nev./Coronado HS) drew a lead-off walk, stole second and would come around to score the eventual game-winning run on a Jerome Hill II (Pittsburg, Calif./Pittsburg HS) double down the left field line. Freshman reliever Preston Hannay (Murray, Utah/Murray HS) (W, 2-0) then set down the Mavericks in order in the ninth to close out the game.

DSU outhit CMU 15-14, with Morache leading the way with three doubles on the day with three RBI and three runs scored. McLaughlin and Lucero each finished with two hits and two RBI, and junior outfielder Ryan Rodriguez (Folsom, Calif./Vista Del Lago HS) and Kamachi also collected a pair of safeties.

Dixie State returns home to begin PacWest Conference play this upcoming week as the Storm hosts league co-favorite California Baptist in a big four-game series at Bruce Hurst Field. The Storm and Lancers will play a single game on Thursday, March 3 at 6 p.m., followed by a doubleheader on Friday, March 4 beginning at 4 p.m., and the series finale on Saturday, March 5 at 12 noon.