Dixie State collected its first series win in the program's NCAA Division-I era with a hard-fought 13-9 victory at Tarleton State on Saturday afternoon. The Trailblazers won the final three games of the series, and have won four of their last five games overall, to move to 9-16 overall, 7-9 in Western Athletic Conference play.

The offenses for both teams got the early wake-up for the late morning first pitch, starting with the Trailblazers who got a pair of first inning, opposite field home runs to break into the scoring column. Shane Taylor got DSU on the board on the game's third pitch, which was followed two batters later by Kaden Hollow's team-leading sixth round-tripper of the year.

Tarleton (9-20/2-10 WAC) countered with a lead-off homer of its own off the bat of London Green, which was followed by a Wade Raburn RBI-single with two outs that squared the game at 2-2.

The two sides would trade solo blasts one inning later, with Taylor connecting for his second homer of the game, and third of the year, off the right field light pole, while the Texans answered with a Jordan Parker shot to left center with one out in the home half of the frame.

Dixie State kept the offensive momentum going in the third, striking for two more runs on three consecutive hits to go back on top at 5-3. Hollow singled to lead off the stanza, and after taking second on a wild pitch, scampered home thanks to a Jake Engel double. Lane Pritchard then singled on Engel to spot DSU its two-run cushion.

Tarleton threatened in its half of the frame with runners on second and third and one out. However the Texans would run themselves out of the scoring chance when Raburn popped out to shallow center field to shortstop Mathew Ivancich, who fired the ball home to Hollow to cut down the tagging Texan baserunner at the plate to complete the improbable double play and end the threat.

After a scoreless fourth, DSU erupted with three runs more to extend to an 8-3 advantage. Tanner Harper was plunked to lead off the frame, then after a Hollow double, Engel traded places with the freshman catcher with a double to left field to chase home both base runners. Engel eventually came around to score on a two-out wild pitch after he took third on a groundout.

The Texans got two of those runs back in their next offensive frame, which ended the day for senior southpaw Tevita Gerber (ND) before he could get the final out in the fifth to qualify for the win. Tarleton would load the bases later in the stanza, but Trailblazer reliever Jack Gonzales (W, 1-2) came on to record a three-pitch strikeout as DSU escaped further damage.  

Dixie State finally broke the game open in the sixth with five runs, highlighted by a two-out Cade Spurlin grand slam – the Blazers' fourth homer of the game, to push the lead to 13-5.

Unfortunately DSU could not get the shutdown inning it needed as the Texans got four of those runs right back in the home sixth to make it a 13-9 game. The Blazer bullpen would then go on to escape a bases-loaded jam in the eighth and senior closer Brayden Bonner set down Tarleton in order in the ninth to clinch the series win.

The Blazers pounded out 15 hits in the game, eight of which went for extra bases. Engel led the way with four total hits to go with three RBI and three runs scored, while Hollow finished a triple shy of the cycle as he went 3-for-4 with four runs scored. Meanwhile, Spurlin and Taylor each tallied three hits and combined for six RBI, all of which came via the home run.

Dixie State returns home, albeit briefly, this Tuesday, April 6, for a return home game against in-state foe Utah at Bruce Hurst Field. First pitch is slated for 4:05 p.m. Following that game, the Trailblazers head back out on the road for a three-game non-conference series at another PAC-12 member USC next weekend in Los Angeles.