Dixie State came away with a split of the middle two games of its four-game WAC series with conference-leading California Baptist on Saturday afternoon at Bruce Hurst Field. The Trailblazers were the beneficiary of strong pitching and clutch hitting in taking game one by a 2-1 count in seven innings, while the Lancers mounted a late-inning rally to break through in the series and to claim the nightcap, 7-4.

As was the case in Friday's series opener, pitching took center stage as the two sides traded zeros through the first four-plus innings of game one.

Dixie State (11-21/9-10 WAC) was held to only three base hits in the game, though two of those safeties led to runs. The Blazers broke the scoreless draw in the home fifth when with two on and one out, Jagun Leavitt beat out an infield single, which was played into a two-base error following an errant Lancer throw to the first base bag. Tanner Argyle, who walked to lead off the frame, scampered around third and plated the game's first run on the error.

DSU would pick up a big insurance run one inning later thanks to a two-out, opposite field home run off the bat of Lane Pritchard, the senior's third round-tripper of the year.

That run proved to be the difference as CBU (20-11/12-3 WAC) spoiled the shutout bid with a Damon Keith homer to start the Lancer seventh. DSU closer Brayden Bonner (S, 5) would then walk the next batter he faced, though he quickly erased that base runner with a 4-6-3 double play, and induced a game-ending groundout to second to close out the win.

Junior righthander Jimmy Borzone (W, 2-4) struck out seven and scattered six hits over 5.1 scoreless innings to earn his second victory of the season.

The Trailblazers did not have to wait long to break into the scoring column in the nightcap as DSU struck for two runs in the home second to race out to an early lead. Pritchard got the rally started with a one-out double, stole third and jogged home following a Hank Dodson double down the third base line.

Shane Taylor followed that up with an RBI-single three batters later to drive home Dodson with the Blazers' second run.

After trading single runs in the fourth, the Lancers took advantage of a DSU throwing error to tally an unearned run of their own to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Dixie State managed to protect its slim lead until the CBU eighth when the Lancers struck for three two-out runs to take their first lead of the series at 5-3. DSU reliever Justin Dunham retired the first two Lancer hitters he faced, but a two-out single and a hit batter proved to be his undoing as five-straight CBU batters wound up reaching base in the rally.

The Blazers got one of those runs back on a Pritchard two-out hit in the home eighth, but CBU answered with Keith two-run home run to extend to a three-run advantage.

DSU had one more chance in the ninth when Lancer closer CJ Culpepper walked the bases loaded with two outs, but the CBU reliever escaped the jam with a strikeout to end the game.

Pritchard went 3-for-3 with two runs scored to lead DSU offensively, while Dodson collected two hits, as the duo accounted for five of the team's seven safeties in the game. The loss spoiled a solid outing for freshman Ryan Hardman (ND), who surrendered two runs (one earned) on four hits with a pair of strikeouts in five innings of work.

DSU will play for its second-straight WAC series win in Sunday's series finale. First pitch is slated for 12:05 p.m.