No. 15 Dixie State came away with a split of a Friday doubleheader against two different opponents on a marathon day of baseball at Bruce Hurst Field. The Trailblazers (2-1) dropped their first game of the day to Montana State Billings by a 15-7 count, then could not protect a ninth-inning lead in the nightcap against Cal State San Bernardino before eventually claiming a 9-8 walk-off win in 11 innings.

Against MSUB, the Yellowjackets (2-1) bolted out to an early 8-0 lead on the strength of a two-run second inning, followed by a six-run third frame. MSUB pounded out five hits in the third, highlighted by a two-run homer off the bat of Jalen Garcia, followed by a three-run blast from Andrew Schleuser before the first out of the inning was recorded.

Dixie State began the chip away at the deficit with two runs in the home half of the third, which included the first collegiate hit and home run from freshman Alec Flemetakis (Hurricane, Utah/Hurricane HS) that led off the stanza. Junior Bryce Feist (Emmett, Idaho/Rocky Mountain HS) would connect for his first homer of the year in the fifth, a two-run shot as part of a three-run rally, and DSU would tack on single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to pull to with 8-7.

However that would be as close as Dixie State would get as the Yellowjackets answered with two runs in the eight before erupting for five more runs in the ninth to put the game away.

DSU rapped out 11 hits in the loss, two apiece for Flemetakis, Feist, Kyle Hoffman (Taylorsville, Utah/Taylorsville HS) and Gabe Taylor (Pittsburg, Calif./Clayton Valley Charter School), while Feist finished with a team-high three RBI. Schleusner led the way for MSUB with four hits and six RBI, while Garcia went 3-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored.

In the nightcap vs. CSUSB (0-2), the Trailblazers scored the game's first run without benefit of a hit in the third inning as Flemetakis was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. The freshman then advanced to second on a wild pitch, was bunted to third on a Gabe Taylor (Pittsburg, Calif./Clayton Valley Charter School) sacrifice and would come home after a Feist flyout.

Meanwhile, junior Jayden Murray (Vernal, Utah/Uintah HS) (ND) set down the first 10 Coyotes he faced with six strikeouts over his first 3.1 innings, but the Coyotes managed to push across the tying run on an Alec Ceniceros single with two-outs in the fourth.

Dixie State answered with two runs in the home fourth before breaking the game open with a five-run fifth inning. Sophomore Jake Engel (Tucson, Ariz./Ironwood HS) provided the big blow in the frame as he connected for three-run home run to left center, his first collegiate long ball, while Taylor drove home two more runs on a two-out single later in the frame that pushed the DSU cushion to 8-1.

DSU then turned the game over the bullpen and for the next four innings, the freshman duo of Brecken Lewis (Cedar City, Utah/Cedar HS) and Jack Gonzales (Oceanside, Calif./El Camino HS) delivered as they combined to limit Cal State San Bernardino to four hits over that span.

It was still an 8-1 ball game in the ninth before the Coyotes mounted a furious comeback, scoring seven runs on four hits (five in the inning) and pair of crucial Trailblazer miscues on the infield after two outs were recorded to tie the game and force extra innings. Shawn Porthan started the rally with a two-run single, which was followed by a DSU throwing error on a third-strike in the dirt that loaded the bases, and another two-run base hit from Jacob Allen, which pulled CSUSB to with 8-5.

Gabe Chavez then stepped up and connected for a two-run double that cut the DSU lead to 8-7. The Trailblazers then thought they had escaped with the win as DSU reliever Brad Danzeisen (Las Vegas, Nev./Cimarron Memorial HS) induced a Mando Rodriguez infield pop-up, but a defensive miscommunication allowed the ball to drop in the infield and allowed Chavez to scamper home from second to knot the score at 8-8.

In the bottom of the 11^th, Logan Porter (Surprise, Ariz./Valley Vista HS) reached on a lead-off double and would advance to third on a Jagun Leavitt (St. George, Utah/Pine View HS) sacrifice. Junior Kade Cloward (South Jordan, Utah/Bingham HS) then stepped up and lined a 2-2 pitch to left field to drive home Porter to end the game.

DSU finished with 10 more hits in the win, including a 3-for-3 effort with three RBI for Taylor. Murray finished with eight strikeouts in four innings of work but did not figure in the decision, while Tyler Rosas (Twin Falls, Idaho/Canyon Ridge HS) (W, 1-0) fanned three and scattered two hits in 2.1 innings to earn the win in relief.

In the first game of the day, MSUB defeated CSUSB 12-5.

Dixie State will again take on the Yellowjackets and Coyotes in another split doubleheader on Saturday. DSU and MSUB will play at 11:30 a.m., followed by a match-up between the Trailblazers and Coyotes at 3 p.m.