Dixie State opened its eight-game road swing on a sour note as the Trailblazers fell at CSUN in a non-conference matinee on Tuesday afternoon at Matador Field in Northridge, Calif. 
 
Trailing 2-0 in the sixth, DSU (11-9) broke through with its first run of the day when Jagun Leavitt scored from second on a two-out Matador error. The Trailblazers would later load the bases on consecutive walks to Tyler Hollow and Will Chambers, but the Matadors managed to escape the stanza with their lead intact.
 
CSUN (11-9) got that run back in the home sixth, and struck for two more runs in the seventh, thanks in part to a crucial two-out Blazer throwing error, to extend to a commanding 5-1 advantage.
 
Dixie State would again load the bases with two outs in the eighth, and this time the Trailblazers would take full advantage. After a CSUN pitching change, Chase Rodriguez pulled a 1-2 Blake Schriever offering down the right field line. 
 
The ball wound up rolling to the base of the wall, which allowed all three base runners to score and Rodriguez to slide into third with his third-career triple, as the Blazers cut the deficit to 5-4.
 
Schriever got out of the inning without further damage, and the Matadors would get a big insurance run in the home half of the frame on a Bart West lead-off homer. Schriever (S, 4) then worked around another Matador error and a walk in the ninth to close out the game. 
 
Dixie State was limited to a season-low tying four hits, two of which came off the bat of Hollow, who reached base safely three times overall. Junior righthander Jake Dahle (L, 1-2) pitched into the sixth, scattering five hits and three runs in a losing effort.  
 
DSU returns to WAC play for a three-game road series at Seattle U this upcoming Friday-through-Sunday.