Dixie State split the middle two games of its four-game home series against former Pacific West Conference rival Azusa Pacific on Friday afternoon at Bruce Hurst Field.

Jake Engel homered for the third time in the series, this time a walk-off two-run shot, to lift the Trailblazers to a dramatic 4-3 come-from-behind win in seven innings. However the Cougars quelled any hope of a Valentine's Day sweep as the Cougars used the long ball to hand DSU (9-1) its first loss of the season in the nightcap, 12-1.

Dixie State, which had trailed a grand total of one-half inning during its season-opening eight-game win streak, fell behind 3-0 in the first inning of Friday's twin bill. APU struck for three runs and three hits, including consecutive two-out RBI safeties from Nick Estrella and Tido Robles, off of DSU starter Jack Gonzales (ND).

However Gonzales would right the ship as set down 16 of the final 19 Cougar hitters he faced, including 10-straight before surrendering a two-out walk in the sixth, and finished with five strikeouts in six innings of work on the day.

Meanwhile the high-powered Blazer offense was stifled by Cougar righthander Joe Wills, who needed only 32 pitches to retire the first 11 Trailblazers he faced before Cade Spurlin reached after being hit by a pitch on the 33^rd offering with two outs in the fourth. DSU would also load the bases in the fifth on a lead-off error, a walk and a hit batter, which chased Wills, but the Blazers could not cash in either of the free baserunners as Dixie State remained hitless through five innings complete.

Dixie State finally solved APU's pitching staff in the sixth as Engel was hit to lead off the frame and Tanner Harper was plunked with one out. Tyler Hollow then stepped up and wrecked the no-hit and shutout bid with a double to right center to drive in Engel carrying DSU's first run. Tyson Fisher followed with a sharp single right field on the very next pitch, which chased home Harper to cut the deficit to 3-2.

After DSU reliever Zach Thomas (W, 1-0) tossed a scoreless seventh, Alec Flemetakis singled to begin the home seventh. Lane Pritchard then reached on a fielder's choice that erased Flemetakis, though did bring up Engel, who ambushed a 2-1 Tripp Aversa pitch and sent it over the wall in right center to end the game.

The victory pushed the Dixie State's win streak to nine-straight and was the 300^th victory (248 at DSU) for Head Coach Chris Pfatenhauer.

In the seven-inning nightcap, the Cougars took advantage of a pair of DSU errors in the opening frame to plate two unearned runs to take an early lead. Dixie State got one of those runs back on a wild pitch in the home first, but was held scoreless the rest of the way.

Azusa Pacific (4-7) extended to a 5-1 lead in the third on a Joseph Kim three-run homer, then broke the game open with four runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth to put the game away and end the Blazers' win streak. Estrella, who started the game on the mound, helped his own cause as he connected for a three-run home run in the fourth, though he was lifted in the DSU fourth one out short of qualifying to earn the decision. 

Dixie State will to clinch the series win as the two teams wrap up their four-game set with the finale on Saturday beginning at 12 noon at Bruce Hurst Field.