Kaden Hollow and Mathew Ivancich each drove in two runs as Dixie State opened a three-game WAC home series with a decisive 12-2 victory over New Mexico State in eight innings on Friday night at Bruce Hurst Field.
 
The game got off to an inauspicious start for the Trailblazers (10-7/5-2 WAC) as the first three Aggie hitters reached on a pair of singles and a walk off to load the bases off of DSU starter Dillon Holliday.
 
Holliday looked to have possibly minimized the damage when NM State (9-7/1-3 WAC) outfielder Preston Godfrey grounded into a double play chance. DSU managed to get the first out at second, but the relay throw sailed wide of first base, which allowed two runs to score.
 
Then after another error put runners at the corners with one out, Logan Gallina fouled out to Shane Taylor near the third base bag. Taylor then saw that Godfrey broke for home on contact and was able to double off the Aggie base runner at the bag to end the frame.
 
The Trailblazer offense got Holliday off the hook in the home half of the first, plating five runs on only two hits, though DSU drew three walks off of Aggie starter Sammy Natera (L, 0-1).
 
After Dixie State loaded the bases with one out, Hollow just missed clearing the base paths with a opposite field shot off the left field wall. However all three Trailblazer base runners had to hold, which limited Hollow to just a single and one RBI.
 
Then after a wild pitch tied the game at 2-2, Ivancich won a 12-pitch duel with Natera by singling in two more runs to make a 4-2 game. Dixie State would pick up its fifth run when Tyson Fisher reached the plate on before Ivancich was tagged out on a double steal attempt with two outs.
 
The Trailblazers would later tack on single runs in the third and fifth frames, which bookended a two-run fourth, to extend to a commanding 9-2 lead after five complete.
 
Holliday (W, 2-2) would settle in after his rocky first inning, limiting NM State to just five hits over his next six innings of work. The sophomore righthander struck out three Aggie hitters from the first inning on, while the Blazer defense turned two more double plays in the third and sixth innings.
 
The score remained the same until the bottom of the eighth when Dixie State plated three more runs to end the game. With a runner at third and one out, Jagun Leavitt singled to left to drive in pinch runner Keith Davis.
 
Leavitt would tally DSU's 11^th run when Parker Schmidt doubled into gap in right center. Schmidt then took third on a wild pitch, then after another wild pitch on ball four to Tyler Hollow, the Blazer left field raced home to provide the final winning margin.
 
Schmidt, Kaden Hollow and Leavitt each had two hits as Dixie State finished with eight safeties on the night. Meanwhile, freshman lefthander Justin Woodbury recorded a rare four-strikeout frame in the eighth. Woodbury faced only four hitters the frame, this after  his second strikeout victim reached base on a wild pitch after swinging at strike three.
 
The two teams will square in game two of the three-game set on Saturday afternoon at 2:05 p.m.