ST. GEORGE, Utah – Utah Valley rallied with five runs in the final inning for the second straight game to force extras in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, but Dixie State managed to walk-off in the seven-inning scheduled contest in the eighth, 10-9. The Wolverines then again looked to stage a late rally in the nightcap, but the Trailblazers managed to hold on to claim the nightcap, 4-2, and sweep Saturday's WAC doubleheader at Bruce Hurst Field in St. George.
 
Despite dropping both games, Mick Madsen, Garrett Broussard and Brandon Luna all homered on the day for the Wolverines (7-34, 5-22 WAC), and Kade Poulsen recorded five hits by going 5-for-8 on the day. UVU will look to salvage a game on the weekend in the series finale on Sunday. Right-hander Nick Sims is scheduled to start on the mound for UVU, while Dixie State (14-26, 12-11 WAC) will go with RHP Ryan Hardman. 
 
GAME ONE
Dixie State struck first with a pair of first inning runs in the first game of the twin bill to jump out to a 2-0 lead. After loading the bases with one away, Kaden Hollow drove home the first two runs with a two-run single to right to give the Trailblazers the early lead. 
 
The Wolverines quickly responded with a run of their own in the top of the second thanks to doubles from Poulsen and Pacen Hayes to make it 2-1. Poulsen led off the frame with a double to left and two batters later, Hayes then drove him home with a double down the leftfield line to get UVU on the board and cut the early deficit in half.
 
The Blazers then struck back with four runs in the last of the second to extend their lead to 6-1. Three of the four runs were unearned, however, as UVU committed a defensive miscue in the frame. Shane Taylor, Lane Pritchard and Cade Spurlin all drove in runs in the inning for Dixie State. DSU then added a run in the third to make it 7-1. 
 
After Poulsen singled and Drew Sims was hit by a pitch to reach base for UVU in the top of the fourth, Madsen belted out a three-run home run to left center to pull the Wolverines within three at 7-4. The homer marked Madsen's first big fly of the season.
 
Dixie State later added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth to extend its advantage to 9-4. Taylor and Jake Engel each drove in runs in the frame for the Blazers.
 
Again, trailing by five entering the final inning, UVU got off to a strong start in the seventh as the first two batters reached when Brandon Luna was hit by a pitch and Madsen singled to left. Connor Hall then immediately followed with an RBI double to left to plate Luna and make it 9-5. The second-year freshman Broussard followed with a big three-run home run—his first collegiate round-tripper—to make it a one-run game at 9-8. After a single from Moralez and a fielder's choice from Kase Ogata, pinch runner Ty Mead then stole second to get into scoring position. Poulsen then singled to right and Mead, who initially stopped at third, decided to break for home when the ball got away from the relay man, but was called out at the plate for the second out of the frame. With Poulsen leading from first and UVU down to its final out, Sims then delivered a clutch RBI double down the leftfield line to score Poulsen all the way from first to tie the ballgame and send it to the bottom of the seventh in the scheduled seven-inning contest. 
 
Then in the last of the seventh, Dixie State got a pair of runners aboard following a single from Jayden Leavitt and a one-out walk from Taylor to put runners on first and second with one away. Engel then advanced both runners into scoring position with a flyout for the second out of the inning. DSU's Lane Pritchard then belted a ball to deep left-center and the UVU centerfielder Hall made a game-saving catch on the full sprint up against the wall to send the scheduled seven-inning game to extras. 
 
After UVU was held scoreless in the top of the eighth, the Trailblazers then got a pair of runners into scoring position after the international tiebreaker runner Pritchard moved from second to third and Spurlin, who was intentionally walked earlier, advanced from first to second on a sacrifice bunt from Tanner Harper. Pinch Hitter Tyson Fisher then drove in Pritchard on a walk-off sac fly to left to propel DSU to their second consecutive walk-off win of the series. 
 
Despite dropping the contest, Poulsen led UVU by going 3-for-4 with three runs scored and a double, while Madsen went 2-for-4 with three batted in and two runs scored, and Broussard also went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Taylor and Pritchard led DSU with two hits and three RBIs apiece.
 
Dixie reliever Jack Gonzales was credited the win after tossing a scoreless eighth to improve to 2-4 on the year while UVU reliever Devin Smith falls to 0-2 after surrendering one unearned run on one hit in an inning and two-thirds. 
 
GAME TWO
In the nightcap of the twin bill, Dixie State got off to another strong start with a pair of first inning runs to take an early 2-0 advantage. UVU starter Bobby Voortmeyer got into some early trouble after issuing free passes to the first two hitters. Pritchard then drove them both home with a hard-hit ball that got by Moralez and into center field for a two-run single.
 
After being retired in order thru the first three innings, the Wolverine offense then managed to get something going thanks to back-to-back one-out hits from Moralez and Poulsen to put two runners aboard. After a flyout off the bat of Luna moved Moralez to third, DSU starter Brett Porthan managed to escape the jam unscathed with an inning-ending strikeout. Hall then reached on an error to start the fifth and later advanced to third, but DSU's Porthan managed to get Tavyn Lords to groundout to first to end the threat. 
 
With Dixie still holding to a 2-0 lead in the last of the fifth, the Trailblazers managed to load the bases with nobody out following a trio of free passes. A bases-loaded walk from Taylor then made it 3-0 but UVU reliever Dawson Day responded by striking out Engel for the first out of the inning. After a sac fly from Pritchard made it 4-0, Day then got Spurlin to lineout to first to end the inning. 
 
Poulsen started a two-out rally for UVU in the sixth by doubling to right center and moving from second to third on a fielding error on the Dixie right fielder. Luna then followed by blasting out a two-run homer to right center to get the Wolverines on the scoreboard in the contest and cut the deficit in half at 4-2 in the seven-inning contest. 
 
The Blazers then loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth with nobody out and threatened to extend to their lead, but UVU reliever Carson Brown came on and got an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play to keep it 4-2. 
 
UVU then looked to stage another last-inning rally, as Trey Newman reached on a one-out walk and Madsen followed with a single to put the tying runners on the base paths in the top of the seventh. Alexander Marco then followed with a pinch-hit flyout to deep center to move Newman to third for the second out, but Dixie starter Porthan sealed the victory for DSU with a game-ending groundout off the bat of Broussard to complete the 4-2 win for the Blazers.
 
DSU's Porthan went the distance on the mound and allowed just two runs on five hits to improve to 1-0 on the season. UVU's Voortmeyer was tagged with the loss to fall to 2-6. 
 
Poulsen led UVU offensively in the nightcap by going 2-for-3 with a double and run scored, while Luna went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.
 
ON DECK FOR UVU
The Wolverines and Trailblazers will conclude the four-game series on Sunday at noon at Bruce Hurst Field. Following the contest, UVU will return to UCCU Ballpark to welcome neighboring rival BYU to town for a UCCU Crosstown Clash on Tuesday, May 4 at 6 p.m.