It took 11 tries but the Dixie State baseball team is finally in the win column as a Division I program. The Trailblazers outslugged New Mexico State by a 19-13 count to salvage the final game of their WAC debut series on Sunday afternoon at Presley Askew Field. 

DSU (1-10/1-3 WAC) came out of the gate swinging and combined to score nine runs over their first two offensive frames. The first five DSU reached base to open the game as Cade Spurlin walked, Ben Petty-Hull was plunked by a pitch and Kaden Hollow singled. Jake Engel then stepped up and laced a double to centerfield to clear the bases, which was followed by a Lane Pritchard double that chased Engel home.

After Dixie State hurler Tevita Gerber (ND) pitched a scoreless first inning, the Blazers erupted for five more runs in the second to extend to a 9-0 advantage. Shane Taylor singled and Spurlin was hit by a pitch ahead of Petty-Hull, who singled up the middle to bring home Taylor.

Hollow followed that up with his first home run of the year, a gap shot to right center, to push the DSU lead the eight runs. Pritchard would plate the Blazers' ninth run of the frame when he reached on a fielder's choice, stole second, stole third, and then swiped home as he got his right hand just under the tag attempt by Aggie catcher Jason Bush.

NMSU (4-7/3-1 WAC) got three of those runs back in the home second thanks to a Ronnie Allen Jr. homer and a two-out Blazer error, which cut the DSU lead to 9-3.

Dixie State nursed its six-run cushion until the sixth when the Trailblazers tacked on five more runs. Spurlin led off the frame with a solo shot to right field, then after Petty-Hull reached on an error and a Hollow line-out, Engel blasted his team-leading third home run of the season over the wall in left center. 

DSU then added two more runs later in the rally thanks to another Aggie miscue and a Jagun Leavitt single to left field, which pushed the Trailblazers' lead to 14-3.

NMSU came back with four runs in the seventh to extend the game, but Dixie State countered with five runs over the final two innings. Those runs were needed as the Blazers needed to stave off a big ninth-inning Aggie rally to escape with the win.

The Trailblazers' 19 runs and 18 hits were both season highs, with Hollow, Pritchard and Mathew Ivancich each collecting three hits apiece. Pritchard also tied a DSU single game record with four stolen bases.

Engel finished with two hits and a career-high tying five RBI, while Hollow also tied a career-high with four RBI, and Ivancich drove in a career-best three runs. 

Dixie State opens a five-game homestand this Tuesday night with a mid-week tilt against in-state foe BYU. First pitch at Bruce Hurst Field is slated for 6:05 p.m. (MT).