Despite mounting a pair of late-inning rallies, Dixie State came out of the wrong end of a narrow 3-1 decision at Arizona State in its 2022 season opener on Friday night at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
 
The Sun Devils (1-0) drew first blood after a scoreless first inning with two runs in home second to open up an early 2-0 lead. Conor Davis led off the frame with a solo home run to left field, and tacked on another run on a one-out fielder's choice. Arizona State also added an insurance run thanks to a wild pitch in the fifth. 
 
Meanwhile, the Trailblazers (0-1) were limited to just one hit and two walks over their first seven offensive frames. Jagun Leavitt broke through in the hit column with a sharp single to right field with two outs in the fifth. The senior outfielder then stole second, but was stranded on the base paths. 

DSU managed to get two base runners on in the eighth when pinch hitter Will Chambers reached on a lead-off walk, while Mathew Ivancich was plunked two batters later. But again the Sun Devils kept the Blazers off the scoreboard as ASU reliever Will Levine (S, 1) came on and induced two groundouts to end the threat.
 
Dixie State avoided the shutout bid in the ninth when Keith Davis rapped a two-out single up the middle to bring around Tyler Hollow, who reached on a one-out base hit and took second on a Sean Keating infield single. 

Leavitt then stepped up representing the go-ahead run, but Levine got him to ground into a game-ending fielder's choice. 

Sophomore righthander Dillon Holliday (L, 0-1) was effective in his 2022 season debut as he fanned five and scattered six hits and three runs over 4.1 innings of work. In all, three Blazers hurlers combined to strike out 11 Sun Devils, with Jimmy Borzone collecting four punch outs in 2.2 innings, while Zach Thomas struck out two in his lone inning of work.
 
The two teams will play game two of their weekend set on Saturday night beginning at 6 p.m. (PT).