Dixie State ran its record to 6-2 to open the 2019 season after posting a 17-15 victory over Cal State LA in a slugfest Saturday afternoon at Bruce Hurst Field.

After surrendering a first-inning run, the Trailblazers plated three runs in their opening at-bat and rallied for two more runs in the second to bolt out to a 5-1 lead. Brody Clifford wasted little time getting DSU on the board as he cashed in a Jagun Leavitt lead-off walk with an opposite field home run to right field. Tyson Fisher tacked on an RBI-single later in the frame, while Tyler Hollow connected for two-run opposite field double in the second stanza to give DSU the early four-run cushion.

However that lead would be short-lived as the Golden Eagles (0-2) sent 13 batters to the plate as part of a nine-run third inning to vault to a 10-5 lead. Dixie State countered with a run in the home half of the third, then after CSULA tallied a run in the fourth, the Blazers countered with two runs in the fourth and four more in the fifth to regain the lead at 12-11.

DSU pounded out four hits in the fifth, highlighted by a two-run triple from Jake Engel, who later scored on a wild pitch to put the Trailblazers back on top.

CSULA tied the game an inning later, but Dixie State put up another four-run frame in the sixth to extend to a 16-12 advantage. Jake Brown tripled home one run, while DSU took advantage of a balk and three Golden Eagle errors to reclaim the lead.

Dixie State almost let the lead slip away again in the seventh as the Golden Eagles scored three runs without benefit of hit as Trailblazer pitchers issued a combined six walks, including five two-out free passes, and uncorked two wild pitches, which allowed CSULA to trim the deficit to 16-15.

DSU managed to push across a big insurance run after the stretch when Leavitt himself drew a bases-loaded walk. Junior closer Brayden Bonner (S, 3) then worked around a pair of lead-off hits in the ninth, striking out two of the final three batters he faced to end the near five-hour marathon game.

The Trailblazers rapped out 15 hits in the weekend finale as six DSU sluggers each finished with two safeties, while Hollow drove in a team-high three runs.

Dixie State will enjoy a 13-day break before welcoming Montana State Billings to Bruce Hurst Field for a four-game series Feb. 22-24.