(Postgame Press Briefing - Video)

No. 10 Dixie State used a big late-inning rally to extend its season as the second-seeded Trailblazers slipped past sixth-seed Cal State East Bay, 6-4, in an NCAA West Regional elimination game Friday at Totman Stadium on the California Baptist University campus. DSU improved to 39-13 on the season, while the Pioneers saw their season end with a 33-22 mark.

DSU was locked in a scoreless pitcher's duel through the first three innings as junior righthander Mason Hilty (Richland, Wash./Richland HS) (W, 10-1) retired eight of the first nine Pioneers he faced. Meanwhile CSUEB hurler Andrew Fernandez (ND) matched Hilty pitch-for-pitch as he limited the Trailblazers to just one hit and two total base runners through the first four innings of his start.

The Pioneers broke the scoreless draw in the home half of the fourth as they managed to manufacture a run to break through and take a 1-0 lead. The Trailblazers responded an inning later as Trey Kamachi (Kapolei, Hawai'i/Kapolei HS) walked and Jerome Hill II (Pittsburg, Calif./Pittsburg HS) was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame. Then after a sacrifice bunt and strikeout, Tanner Morache (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada/Surrey HS) laced an opposite field single through the left side to drive in both base runners and stake DSU to a 2-1 advantage.

Hilty held the Pioneers to just three hits over his first six innings of work, however East Bay was able to solve him in the seventh to the tune of three runs and four hits to reclaim the lead at 4-2. East Bay clean-up hitter Troy Resch provided the big blow as he connected for a two-run homer to right field as part of the rally.

DSU answered right back in the eighth as the Trailblazers rallied for four runs on five hits to reclaim the lead at 6-4. Drew McLaughlin (Scottsdale, Ariz./Desert Mountain HS) and Samuel Hall (Ogden, Utah/Bonneville HS) reached on consecutive one-out singles, then Ryan Rodriguez (Folsom, Calif./Vista Del Lago HS) followed with an RBI-double to drive in McLaughlin and Miles Bice (Henderson, Nev./Coronado HS) pulled the Trailblazers even at 4-4 with a sacrifice fly to plate Hall. Kamachi put DSU back on top one batter later with a single to center field to bring home Rodriguez and Hill II capped the rally with an RBI-double to left center to score Kamachi.

Dixie State's bullpen then came on and shut the door on the Pioneers as senior southpaw Kolton Brost (Mona, Utah/Payson HS) pitched a spotless eighth inning and senior closer Spencer Greer (Woodinville, Wash./Woodinville HS) (S, 8) worked around a lead-off walk to retire the side in the ninth to wrap up the win.

"I'm really excited about the way our guys battled," DSU Head Coach Chris Pfatenhauer said. "We did a really good job of staying in it, we got some huge at bats and Mason [Hilty] did an unbelievable job. We played good baseball and we fought really well."

McLaughlin and Hall collected two hits apiece as DSU outhit East Bay 8-6. Hilty earned his 10^th win of the season as he scattered six hits and four run with three strikeouts in seven innings.

Dixie State will now play sixth-seed CS Monterey Bay in an elimination game on Saturday at 3 p.m. (PT), at Totman Stadium. The game will be a rematch of Thursday's opening round game, which the Trailblazers lost 6-3.

GAME NOTES: Hilty became the first pitcher in DSU's NCAA Division II era to reach double figures in wins in a season ... DSU has now won at least one game in four of its five NCAA Regional appearance and improved to 6-9 overall in 15 Regional games ... the game vs. CSUEB was the first-ever meeting between the Trailblazers and Pioneers on the diamond.