No. 19 Dixie State used a pair of late-inning rallies to take the final two games of a pivotal Pacific West Conference series from No. 25 Point Loma Saturday afternoon at Bruce Hurst Field. The Trailblazers (24-6/13-3 PacWest) scored seven eighth-inning runs en route to a 10-4 victory in the opener, then rallied for four ninth-inning runs to erase a three-run deficit and walk off with an 8-7 extra-inning win in the finale to complete the four-game series sweep.

DSU took an early 1-0 first-inning lead in game one on a Logan Porter (Surprise, Ariz./Valley Vista HS) RBI-single, but the Sea Lions (16-8/8-4 PacWest) countered with a four-run third frame, which was aided by four hits and a throwing error that led to three unearned runs, to bolt out to a 4-1 advantage.

Porter got two of those runs back with one swing of his bat in the fifth as he connected for his team-leading seventh home run of the season to cut the deficit to 4-3. In the DSU eighth, the Trailblazers rapped out six hits, including RBI-singles from Bryce Feist (Emmett, Idaho/Rocky Mountain HS) and Miles Bice (Henderson, Nev./Coronado HS) that put DSU back on top at 5-4. Then following a pinch-hit bases-loaded walk to Reece Lucero (Albuquerque, N.M./La Cueva HS) that forced in another run, Tyler Baker (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman HS) and Trey Kamachi (Kapolei, Hawai'i/Kapolei HS) broke the game open with a pair of two-run singles to stake DSU to a six-run advantage. Tanner Howell (Boulder City, Nev./Boulder City HS) then came on to pitch a hitless ninth to close out the game.

Dixie State outhit PLNU 13-8 in the opener, with Porter and Bice each collecting three hits apiece. Despite the third-inning hiccup, sophomore starter Preston Hannay (Murray, Utah/Murray HS) (ND) pitched an effective six innings as he scattered seven hits and one earned run (four total) with one strikeout. Meanwhile, the DSU bullpen combined to hurl three innings of one-hit relief with a pair of punchouts, with senior RHP Jose Rosales-Rodarte (Las Vegas, Nev./Spring Valley HS) (W, 2-0) picking up his second win of the year.

In the finale, which was originally scheduled for seven innings, DSU led 3-2 after three complete and had a chance to extend that advantage in the fifth after Drew McLaughlin (Scottsdale, Ariz./Desert Mountain HS) and Kamachi led off the frame with consecutive base hits. The duo then pulled off a double steal to move into scoring position, but the Trailblazers could not capitalize on the chance and their lead stayed at a single run heading into the sixth.

DSU's missed opportunity proved costly as Point Loma wrestled the lead away in the sixth as the Sea Lions took advantage of a crucial two-out error to tie and eventually take a 4-3 advantage. Then PLNU returned the favor in the DSU seventh as pair of two-out Sea Lion errors allowed the Trailblazers to tie the game and force extra innings.

Following a scoreless eighth, Point Loma plated three ninth-inning runs to vault to a 7-4 lead. After PLNU reliever Eric Pierce (L, 0-1) retired Trey Reineke (Aurora, Colo./Smoky Hill HS) to start the home ninth, the Trailblazers erupted for six-straight base hits, which started with a Baker double down the left field line. McLaughlin and Kamachi followed with singles to bring Baker around to score, then Porter singled up the middle to score McLaughlin to pull DSU to within a run at 7-6.

Tyler Mildenberg (Huntington Beach, Calif./Marina HS) then reached on a bunt single that plated Kamachi to knot the score at 7-7, which brought up Jake Davison (Taylorsville, Utah/Taylorsville HS), who lined the first pitch he saw from Pierce deep to left field to bring around pinch runner Kade Cloward (South Jordan, Utah/Bingham HS) with the game-winning run to complete the improbable comeback win.

McLaughlin pounded out four hits, including a pair of doubles, along with three runs scored to lead DSU, which outhit Point Loma 15-10 in the finale. Porter also collected two more hits and three RBI (six total RBI on the day), while Kamachi, Bice and Lucero each finished with two hits apiece. Senior reliever Tanner Howell (Boulder City, Nev./Boulder City HS) (W, 1-1) went from possibly losing the decision to picking up his first win of the year as the DSU bullpen was credited with both pitching victories on the day.

Dixie State now begins a stretch that will see the Trailblazers play 16 of their final 20 regular season games on the road, beginning with a four-game PacWest series next weekend at Fresno Pacific.