Dixie State came away with a split of the middle two games of a four-game Pacific West Conference series at Biola Friday at Eagles Diamond. Biola blitzed the Trailblazers for a 13-3 win in the first game, while DSU took advantage of some Eagle fielding woes to erase an early five-run deficit and escape with a 9-8 win in the nightcap.

In the opener, the Trailblazers (20-21/16-15 PacWest) drew first blood with a pair of fourth-inning runs coming on a Logan Porter (Surprise, Ariz./Valley Vista HS) RBI-groundout and a Jake Engel (Tucson, Ariz./Ironwood HS) run-scoring triple into the gap in right center en route a 2-0 lead.

However that lead would be short-lived as the Eagles (26-21/18-13 PacWest) countered with eight-unanswered runs over their next two offensive frames to race out to an 8-2 advantage. Biola pulled even with two runs in the home fourth before erupting for six runs in the fifth, with the big blow coming on a Jerron Largusa three-run home run.

Bolstered by the run support, Biola lefthander Troy Stainbrook (W, 4-2), who fired eight innings of three-hit baseball, retired 12 of the next 13 Trailblazers he faced to help the Eagles coast to the victory.

Three of DSU's five hits in the game went for extra bases, including a Joe Raymond (Foresthill, Calif./Del Oro HS) double in the sixth and a Porter RBI-double in the ninth to complement the Engel three-bagger. Junior righthander Jayden Murray (Vernal, Utah/Uintah HS) (L, 3-4) enjoyed a solid beginning to his day as he limited Biola to one hit through the first three innings, but was done in by the Eagles' decisive fifth frame.

In the seven-inning nightcap, the Trailblazers were gifted a two-out first inning run on the first of six Eagle errors in the game. Biola was able to shake that off however in the home half of the frame as the Eagles pounced for six runs before DSU could record an out on their way to a commanding 6-1 lead.

Dixie State wasted little time chipping away at the deficit by plating two runs in each of the its next two offensive stanzas to pull to within 6-5. Tyler Hollow (Boise, Idaho/Rocky Mountain HS) and Jake Davison (Taylorsville, Utah/Taylorsville HS) both singled to lead off the second, then after a BU fielding error, Brody Clifford (Queen Creek, Ariz./Bradshaw Mountain HS) doubled in both base runners to cut the deficit to 6-3. Davison would pick up a two-run double of his own an inning later after Gabe Taylor (Pittsburg, Calif./Clayton Valley Charter School) and Hollow both reached on walks.

Biola would get one of those runs back on a River Fawley third-inning homer, but the Trailblazers countered with four more runs in the fourth to regain the lead at 9-7. Biola committed three more errors to aid the DSU rally, which was capped by a Hollow two-out, two-run single that broke a 7-7 tie.

After the Eagles made it a 9-8 game with a run in the home fourth, DSU relievers Jimmy Borzone (Vancouver, Wash./Union HS) (W, 2-0) and Tanner Howell (Boulder City, Nev./Boulder City HS) (S, 6) combined to set down nine of the final 12 Eagles to close out the game, with Howell retiring the side in order in the seventh to collect his second save of the series.

Clifford posted his first multi-hit game of the season as he went 3-for-4 to go with his two RBI, while Davison and Hollow each finished with two hits and two RBI as DSU rapped out nine safeties in the game. Biola's six errors were a DSU opponent season-high, while the Trailblazers were rung up for just one error in 16 total innings on the day.

DSU will look for its fifth-straight series win in the finale Saturday beginning at 2 p.m. (MT).