Junior second baseman Drew McLaughlin (Scottsdale, Ariz./Desert Mountain HS) became Dixie State's career hits leader to highlight a doubleheader split with Azusa Pacific Friday night at Bruce Hurst Field. The Trailblazers were held to a season-low tying one run in dropping the first game, 8-1, then used a pair of big innings to claim the nightcap by a 9-6 margin.

McLaughlin recorded his record-breaking hit in the third inning of game one on a bunt single, which loaded the bases with no outs after Miles Bice (Henderson, Nev./Coronado HS) and Tanner Morache (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada/Surrey HS) led off the frame with consecutive base hits. However Cougar starter Jonny Reid (W, 2-4) escaped without allowing a Trailblazer run as Reece Lucero (Albuquerque, N.M./La Cueva HS) lined into a double play and Reid induced an inning ending groundout two batters later.

DSU finally broke through in the fourth as Bryce Feist (Emmett, Idaho/Rocky Mountain HS) laced a one-out double to right center, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored the game's first run on a balk to give the Trailblazers a 1-0.

From that point forward it was all APU as the Cougars scored all eight of their runs from the fifth inning on, scoring two runs in the fifth, sixth and ninth frames, and single runs in both the seventh and eighth stanzas. Meanwhile Reid, who gave up eight DSU hits through his first four innings of work, and two relievers managed to hold DSU scoreless on just six hits over the final five innings of play to close out the game.

Morache and Bice led DSU with three hits apiece, while Jerome Hill II (Pittsburg, Calif./Pittsburg HS) collected two hits and McLaughlin finished 1-for-4. Sophomore starter Dylan File (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS) (L, 4-1) suffered his first loss of the season, in his 11^th start overall, after he surrendered five runs (three earned) on nine hits with four strikeouts in seven innings.

APU got off to a quick start in game two as Cougar infielder Adrian Tovalin connected for a one-out solo homer to right field off of DSU starter Mason Hilty (Richland, Wash./Richland HS) (ND) to spot Azusa Pacific a 1-0 first-inning lead. Dixie State answered right back with three runs of its own in the home half of the frame as Samuel Hall (Ogden, Utah/Bonneville HS) smacked a two-run double to right center to score Morache and McLaughlin, who reached on an error and double respectively to lead off the frame. Bice then singled home Hall two batters later to stake the Trailblazers to a 3-1 advantage.

Azusa Pacific then countered with three runs of its own in the second, including Tovalin's second homer in as many innings, this time a solo shot to center field which put the Cougars back on top at 4-3.

Dixie State then took the lead for good at 7-4 with a four-run rally in the home third, which included RBI-hits from Ryan Rodriguez (Folsom, Calif./Vista Del Lago HS), Bice and Hill II. APU trimmed the deficit to 7-6 with a pair of runs in the fourth, but the Trailblazers put the game on ice with two runs in the sixth thanks to a bases-loaded walk to Rodriguez and a Bice RBI-single.

Hilty, who was going for a DSU record ninth-win of the season and his ninth-straight winning decision overall, lasted 3.2 innings of the seven-inning game after allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits with five strikeouts. Senior lefthander Kolton Brost (Mona, Utah/Payson HS) (W, 3-0) came on to get the final out of the fourth inning, while senior Chance Abrath (Salt Lake City, Utah/West HS) pitched a scoreless fifth, and senior closer Spencer Greer (Woodinville, Wash./Woodinville HS) (S, 6) fanned two over his two innings of work to pick up his team-leading sixth save.

DSU finished with 13 hits in the nightcap, with Bice leading the way with three hits and three RBI to push his hitting streak to a DSU career-best eight games. McLaughlin also extended his hitting streak to eight games in finishing with three hits, giving him 196 career hits overall, and three runs scored. Hall went 2-for-2 with two RBI and two runs scored, and Morache got a hit in his 11^th-straight game after a 1-for-4 effort with two runs scored.

Dixie State and Azusa Pacific will wrap up the four-game set with the series finale Saturday at 12 noon.