Dillon Holliday struck out six over seven shutout innings as Dixie State opened the home portion of its 2022 schedule with a 4-1 series-opening victory over North Dakota State on Friday afternoon at Bruce Hurst Field.
 
The Trailblazers (2-2) got all the offense they would need in the third inning when, after Mathew Ivancich reached on a lead-off walk, senior center fielder Jagun Leavitt drove a 3-2 Max Loven (L, 0-1) offering over the right field wall for his first collegiate home run.

DSU tacked on another run later in the frame on a Tyler Hollow two-out RBI single, and added an insurance run in the home seventh to extend to a 4-0 advantage.
 
Meanwhile Holliday (W, 1-1) limited the Bison to just four hits and seven total baserunners in his home debut. After hurling a spotless first inning and getting out of a two-out jam in the second, the sophomore retired 15 of the final 20 batters he faced over his next five innings of work.
 
Holliday also received some defensive help from his battery mate Kaden Hollow, who threw out two would-be base stealers and another runner trying to advance on wild pitch.
 
DSU carried the shutout into the ninth, but NDSU (3-2) managed to plate an unearned run to spoil the bid.
 
The Blazers were limited to only four hits in the game, with lead-off batter Shane Taylor reaching base four times with a single and three walks to go with two stolen bases, while Ivancich also collected a hit along with a steal and two runs scored.  
 
The two teams will continue the weekend series with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 12:05 p.m.