Dixie State snapped its three-game skid and evened its WAC weekend series with Seattle U at a game apiece on the strength of a 15-5 win in seven innings on Friday night at Bruce Hurst Field.
 
After dropping Thursday's series opener in disappointing fashion, the Trailblazers (18-27/12-14 WAC) set the tone in the first inning, which began with sophomore righthander Brett Porthan (W, 6-4) needing just nine pitches to retire the Redhawks in order.
 
DSU then ambushed Seattle U starter Brady Liddle (L, 2-4) for five runs and five hits in the home first to race to a commanding lead. Kaden Hollow opened the scoring with a one-out single to plate Shane Taylor, who reached on a lead off hit and moved to second on a wild pitch.
 
Parker Schmidt followed with a single and after Tyson Fisher plated Hollow with a two-out hit, Sean Keating cleared the bases with a three-run home run to right center. For Keating it was his third homer in his last five starts overall.
 
Seattle U (14-27/9-14 WAC) got off the mat and started the second with three-straight singles to load the bases with no outs. Porthan would escape the jam with his lead intact, though the Redhawks managed to trim the DSU lead to 5-2.
 
The Blazers got those two runs back in the home second thanks to a Taylor RBI-double, who was later bunted over and came in to score on Hollow's second run-scoring hit. Taylor would then extend the DSU lead to 5-2 an inning later when he singled home Ethan He with one out.
 
Meanwhile Porthan settled in after his rocky start to the second inning, retiring nine-straight and 15 of the next 18 Redhawks he faced, while allowing just three hits and run over his next four innings of work.
 
Leading 8-3 in the home fifth, Dixie State struck for four more runs, three of which came on a towering three-run Zach Thomas homer that sailed well over the batter's eye in straight-away center field. Then after a Redhawk pitching change, Hollow drilled the first pitch he saw from reliever Blake Leaverton over the wall in left field to push the Blazer lead to 12-3.
 
Hollow's opposite field shot was his team-leading eighth of the season and the 17^th of his career, which moved him into solo ninth place on DSU's career home run list.
 
After Taylor's third RBI of the night pushed the Blazer lead to 13-3 after six complete, Porthan just missed recording his first complete-game of the season when Matt Boissoneault blooped a two-out single to right field to plate two runs. The hit spelled the end of the night for the sophomore and extended the game.
 
However the Trailblazers answered with two runs of their own after the stretch when Chase Rodriguez walked with the bases loaded, while a two-out Redhawk throwing error one batter later allowed the final run to score and end the game.
 
DSU pounded out 14 hits on the night, with Taylor going 3-for-3 out of the lead-off spot with three runs scored to go with his three RBI. Hollow also collected three hits and three RBI, that coupled with Thomas' homer meant that the top-third of DSU's lineup drove in nine of the team's 15 runs, while Keating also drove in three from the seven-spot in the order.
 
DSU will look to clinch the series win in Saturday's finale, which will start at 11:30 a.m., at Bruce Hurst Field. The game will also serve as Senior Day as eight seniors will be honored in a postgame ceremony.