Dixie State scored nine unanswered runs over the three middle innings, and got another solid start from sophomore Brett Porthan, en route to a dominant 9-1 win over Seattle U on Saturday afternoon at Bannerwood Ballpark. With the win, the Trailblazers square the WAC weekend series at a game apiece and improve to 12-10 overall, 7-4 in conference play.
 
Trailing 1-0 in the fourth, Dixie State struck for three runs and four hits to take its first lead of the series at 3-1. Chase Rodriguez kick started the rally with a lead-off double and came around to score on a Parker Schmidt RBI-single.
 
Schmidt, who took second on the play, scampered home on carrying the go-ahead run on a Jack Walker single to center. Walker advanced to third thanks to an error on the Redhawk centerfielder and would score the Blazers' third run of the rally on an Ethan He suicide squeeze bunt.
 
After Porthan tossed a 1-2-3 shutdown inning in the Seattle U fourth, first baseman Zach Thomas rewarded his pitcher in the fifth with his first collegiate home run to extend the DSU lead to 4-1.
 
Dixie State then broke the game open in the sixth with five runs to take a commanding 9-1 lead. Seattle U reliever Jarrod Billig started the frame by walking the bases loaded and the Blazers took full advantage.

Kaden Hollow started the run parade with a sharp single to right field, which was followed by a Redhawk error that allowed another run to score. Rodriguez then drove in two more runs with a base hit up the middle and Schmidt capped the rally with his second RBI hit of the day.
 
Freshman Blake Milne came on in relief of Porthan in the Seattle sixth and retired six-straight Redhawks, and got a big double play ball in the eighth, along with three strikeouts in three shutout innings of work. Trevor Meisner then worked a hitless ninth and fanned two to polish off the Blazer victory.

Rodriguez and Walker each collected three hits as Dixie State outhit Seattle U by a 15-6 count. Meanwhile Hollow, Thomas, Schmidt and Jagun Leavitt all had two hits apiece.
 
Porthan (W, 5-0) struck out three and surrendered just the one first-inning run and five hits over five complete to win his fifth-straight decision. Porthan also became the first Trailblazer since former DSU standout Dylan File (2017) to open a season with a 5-0 record.
 
DSU will vie for the overall series win in Sunday's finale beginning at 2 p.m. (MT).