Dixie State closed outs first Western Athletic Conference series of the season on the wrong end of an 8-3 decision to in-state rival Utah Valley on Sunday afternoon at Bruce Hurst Field. The Trailblazers wound up taking two of three in the "Old Hammer Rivalry" series to move to 6-5 overall, 2-1 in WAC play.
 
Senior righthander Jimmy Borzone managed to escape some early inning trouble in his first start of the season. After the first two Wolverines reached base to open the game, the senior came back with a strikeout and two fly ball outs to get of the inning.
 
Borzone (L, 0-1) then worked a spotless second, but found himself in another no-out jam in the third as Utah Valley (3-8/1-2 WAC) loaded the bases with two more hits and a walk. However he again denied the Wolverines as retired the next three hitters he faced, including two on strikes, to keep the game scoreless.
 
UVU would get to Borzone in the fourth, scoring four runs in the frame to chase the Blazer hurler and take a 4-0 lead.
 
Dixie State got three of those runs back in the home half of the stanza as the first three Trailblazers reached to start inning. Sean Keating drove in the first run on a groundout, then after walk reloaded the bases, Jagun Leavitt drew a free pass to force in the second run. Shane Taylor brought around the third on a groundout, but DSU could do no more as the UVU got out of the frame clinging to a one-run advantage.
 
DSU's offense, which combined for 28 runs and 28 hits over the first two games of the series, was held in check the rest of the way as the combination of Nick Sims (W, 1-0) and Josh Brown (S, 1) limited the Blazers to only two hits and two walks over the final five innings.
 
DSU's bullpen also kept the Blazers in it as freshman reliever Jacob Taggart, who came on to record the final out of the UVU fourth, struck out five over 2.1 scoreless innings. Sophomore righthander Ryan Hardman then worked around a hit and a hit batter to get DSU through the seventh.
 
However the Wolverines struck for a pair of insurance runs in the eighth and scored three times in the ninth on their way to salvaging a win in the series.
 
Dixie State was limited to six hits – all singles – on the afternoon, with Chase Rodriguez collecting two of those safeties and a run scored.  
 
Dixie State will head out on a five-game road swing, beginning with a three-game WAC weekend series at Sacramento State on March 11-13.