ST. GEORGE, Utah – Utah Valley managed to erase a five-run deficit with five runs in the ninth which included a clutch game-tying home run from Alexander Marco, but Dixie State won it in the 10th on a suicide squeeze from Jagun Leavitt to defeat UVU 9-8 in opener of the Old Hammer Rivalry weekend series at Bruce Hurst Field in St. George on Friday night. 
 
Trailing 8-3 entering the ninth inning, UVU managed to piece together the five-run rally to tie the game at 8-8. Garrett Broussard and Mitch Moralez both drove in runs for the Wolverines during the big inning, and Marco delivered arguably the hit of the night with a game-tying two-run home run to center to erase the deficit and send it to the bottom of the ninth. 
 
UVU reliever Cole Yocum then struck out the side in order in the last of the ninth to send it to the extras. After the Wolverines were held scoreless in the top of the 10th following a questionable call from the umpire on a play at the plate, Dixie State managed to load the bases and win it in the bottom of the frame on a walk-off suicide squeeze from Leavitt to score Tyson Fischer and propel Dixie State to the 9-8 extra-inning victory. 
 
The in-state foe Trailblazers improve to 12-26 overall and 10-11 in WAC play with the win, while UVU falls to 7-32 overall and 5-20 in conference play with the setback. The contest marked UVU interim head coach David Carter debut as the skipper for the Wolverines. 
 
"We just needed a few better at-bats and to not get a little sloppy at times there on the mound in the middle innings, but it was a great comeback there in the ninth. I'm happy for our team because they didn't roll over and did a nice job of responding late and stretching out the game," Carter said. "Again, I'm pleased with our fight as well as our clutch hitting—especially that shot from Zander Marco. Too bad we couldn't have won it, but it was an exciting game and we're looking forward to coming out ready to go tomorrow (Saturday)."
 
With Dixie State holding to a 1-0 lead in the second, UVU responded with a trio of runs to take a 3-1 lead. Brandon Luna and Drew Sims led off the early rally by drawing back-to-back walks and Andrew Hacker followed with a sacrifice bunt to move both into scoring position. Mick Madsen then promptly delivered an RBI single through the right side of the infield to bring in Luna and tie the game at 1-1. After a walk from Jake Plecas loaded the bases, Broussard was then hit by a pitch to bring in Sims and make it 2-1 UVU. Moralez then capped the scoring in the frame with a RBI sac fly to right to plate Madsen and give the Wolverines the 3-1 advantage. 
 
With UVU starter Jesse Schmit looking strong on the mound and having sat down seven straight hitters and given up just one hit on the night into the fifth, DSU's Matthew Ivancich responded for the Trailblazers by hitting hit out a solo homer to centerfield to lead-off the last of the fifth to make it a 3-2 game. With a runner later on third in the frame and Spenser Triplett on the mound in relief, DSU's Shane Taylor doubled in Leavitt to tie the game. Jake Engel then followed with an RBI single that took a tough hop to get by Madsen at third an into left to bring in Taylor give the Trailblazers a 4-3 advantage.
 
Dixie State then tacked on a run in the sixth on solo home run from Cade Spurlin and another in the seventh on back-to-back two-out hits Engel and Lane Pritchard to make it 6-3. The Trailblazers then added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth with a two-out, two-run RBI single from Ben Petty-Hull to extend their lead to 8-3. 
 
UVU wouldn't go away easily in the ninth, however, as they started the five-run rally when Hacker was hit by a pitch, Plecas walked, and Broussard doubled to center to drive in Hacker and make it 8-4. Plecas then came in to score on a passed ball and Moralez followed with an RBI single to left to bring in Broussard and pull the Wolverines within two at 8-6. Marco then followed with his team-leading seventh home run to deep center to tie the game.
 
With the international tiebreaker in effect and Tavyn Lords placed on second to start the 10th for UVU, Sims then grounded out to the right side to advance Lords to third. Hacker then followed by hitting a chopper to third and DSU's Taylor attempted to cut down the go-ahead run at the plate and Lords was called out on a questionable bang-bang play at the plate from the home plate umpire to keep the game tied. Madsen later singled to put runners on first and second with two away, but DSU reliever Zach Thomas responded by getting Plecas to fly-out to right after a long at-bat to the keep the game deadlocked at 8-all heading to the last of the 10th. 
 
The Blazers would then go on to load the bases with one away and DSU's Leavitt managed to drop down the suicide squeeze bunt with Fisher breaking for home to win the ballgame.
 
Moralez led UVU offensively by going 3-for-4 with two RBIs, while Madsen and Kade Poulsen each had two hits, and Marco and Broussard both drove in two runs. Spurlin paced DSU by going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored while Leavitt also went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. 
 
DSU reliever Thomas (2-1) was credited with the win after tossing a scoreless 10th inning, while UVU's Yocum was tagged with the loss despite pitching and inning and two-thirds of solid relief on the night for UVU to drop to 0-2 on the year. 
 
The ballgame marked the first contest between the former Junior College rivals since 2008. 
 
The Wolverines and Trailblazers will continue the Old Hammer Rivalry series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. The in-state foes will then conclude the series on Sunday at noon.