Dixie State could not overcome an early Utah Valley power surge as the Trailblazers dropped the opening game of their three-game WAC road series to their in-state rivals, 5-4, on Thursday afternoon at UCCU Ballpark. The loss, DSU's fifth-straight, moved the Blazers to 14-19 overall, 8-8 in conference play. 
 
DSU opened the scoring in the first when Kaden Hollow pulled a 1-0 Mason Gray offering to right field to drive in Ethan He, who singled on the first pitch of the game.
 
The Wolverines (13-21/6-10 WAC) quickly countered with three home runs over their first two offensive frames to race out to a 5-1 advantage. Trey Cutchen gave UVU the lead with a two-run shot over the right field wall in the home first. 

Copper Hansen followed suit with a two-run homer of his own in the second, which was followed two pitches later by a Cole Jordan long ball to extend the UVU lead to 5-1 and helped end the day early for DSU freshman starter Blake Milne (L, 1-3).
 
That would basically be it for the Wolverine offense as three Trailblazer relievers combined to allow only two hits and three total baserunners over the next 7.1 innings.
 
Jimmy Borzone entered the game with two outs in the second and shut UVU down, striking out a season-high 10 over 5.1 innings of one-hit relief. Ben Hart then came on to get the final out of the seventh, and Trevor Meisner followed with a spotless eighth frame.
 
Meanwhile Gray (W, 1-2) was just as effective, limiting the Blazers to just the one run and three hits through his first six innings of work. 
 
However Dixie State would solve the UVU righthander in the seventh, touching him up for three two-out runs to cut the deficit to 5-4. Tyler Hollow doubled to right center field to start the rally, while Jagun Leavitt drew a one-out walk, and He was plunked with two outs, which loaded the bases and chased Gray from the game.
 
Shane Taylor drew a five-pitch walk to force home Hollow carrying the first run and bring up Tyson Fisher, who laced the first pitch he saw from reliever Nick Sims to the gap in left center to chase home both Leavitt and He to pull DSU to within a run.
 
That would be as close as the Blazers would get as Sims escaped the seventh with no further damage and tossed a scoreless eighth. UVU closer Josh Brown (S, 4) then came on in the ninth and retired DSU in order to end the game. 
 
Dixie State lost despite outhitting UVU 7-6, with Tyler Hollow accounting for two of those hits, including his 34^th-career double, which moved him into a tie for fifth place on DSU's career doubles list.
 
DSU will look to even the "Old Hammer Rivalry" road series in game two on Friday afternoon beginning at 4:05 p.m.