Despite a career-high nine strikeouts from junior righthander Jimmy Borzone, Dixie State baseball could not muster enough offense to claim its first Division I win as the Trailblazers dropped a 2-1 decision at Wichita State in the series opener on Friday afternoon at Eck Stadium.

The Shockers (4-3) drew first blood with a manufactured run in the first inning off Borzone. However that would be all that WSU could muster off the junior hurler in the early going as he limited Wichita State to just three hits and punched out eight over his first six innings of work.

WSU starter Liam Eddy was just as effective through his first five innings, fanning seven while holding Dixie State to only three total hits.

Dixie State (0-5) finally broke through for a run in the sixth when shortstop Jake Schulz rapped a two-out single up the middle to tie the game at 1-1. Jake Engel reached on a one-out hit and would scamper around to third after Tyson Fisher reached on a two-out throwing error. Schulz then stepped up and bounced a 1-1 Eddy offering back up the box to plate Engel carrying DSU's first run.

The score remained tied until the bottom of the seventh when Shocker outfielder Corrigan Bartlett took the first pitch he saw from Borzone and drove it over the left centerfield wall with two outs to put WSU back on top at 2-1.

The Trailblazers mounted a threat in their next at-bat when Engel walked and Kaden Hollow singled to lead off the frame. However Wichita State would escape with its lead intact when Engel was ruled out at third base after an instant replay review after a Tyson Fisher bunt, which was then followed by an inning ending 5-4-3 double play.

After Borzone and reliever Zach Thomas combined to work a scoreless eighth, outfielder Lane Pritchard laced a lead-off double to left center to open the DSU ninth. Pritchard advanced to third one batter later on a ground out, but he would be stranded there as Shocker reliever Aaron Haase (S, 1) retired the final two Blazer hitters he faced to close out the win.

Dixie State lost despite outhitting the Shockers by an 8-5 count, which marked the first time this young season that the Blazers had outhit an opponent. Hollow led the way with two hits, while Pritchard's double was DSU's lone extra-base hit.

Borzone (L, 0-1) lasted 7.2 innings and surrendered just five hits and two runs on 100 pitches, 70 of which were strikes.

The two teams will play game two of their three game weekend series on Saturday afternoon beginning at 2 p.m. (MT).