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6
Azusa Pacific APU 20-18, 15-9 PACWEST
7
Winner Dixie State DX-BASE 32-10, 20-8 PACWEST
Azusa Pacific APU
20-18, 15-9 PACWEST
6
Final
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Dixie State DX-BASE
32-10, 20-8 PACWEST
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
Azusa Pacific APU 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 13 3
Dixie State DX-BASE 0 0 0 1 2 0 3 0 0 1 7 16 1

W: Abrath, C. (3-3) L: Sanford, Billy (0-2)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Stephen Hinkel

Trailblazers Overcome Deficit

ST. GEORGE, Utah – A rough late inning defeat.

Dixie State rallied from a six-run deficit to post a 7-6 win in 10 innings in the final game of the series on Saturday afternoon.

Each team won two games in the four-game series. Azusa Pacific ends the weekend with a 20-18 overall record with a 15-9 mark in PacWest games. The 17th ranked Trailblazers move to 32-10 and 20-8 respectively.

The Cougars wasted no time taking control of the game in the early going as they put a four-spot on the scoreboard in the first inning. After getting on-base via a single, Adrian Tovalin worked his way into scoring position then scored on a wild pitch for the first run. Just a moment later Michael Staudinger launched a two-run home run to right field. The frame's final run came on a Rene Reyes sacrifice fly which scored Justin Gomez; who tripled in the previous at-bat.

Azusa Pacific's offense continued to click in the next inning as they loaded bases. Staudinger collected his third RBI of the day with a single that scored Mitch Dergazarian. Leading 5-0 heading into the third inning, Cam Bennett lofted a sacrifice fly which allowed Mario Morales to scamper home to give the Cougars a six-run cushion after the first three stanzas.

Dixie State began its comeback with a Rece Lucero RBI double in the fourth inning. The Trailblazers cut their initial deficit in half with two more runs in the fifth inning. Using RBI singles from Tanner Morache and Ryan Rodriguez, the home team pulled within 6-3.

The Azusa Pacific lead was erased in a three batter sequence in the seventh inning. Samuel Hall started the merry-go-round with an RBI single with nobody out. After the Cougars pulled starting pitcher Michael Fairchild, Rodriguez was induced to an RBI groundout by reliever David May. Miles Bice's RBI single to centerfield knotted the score at 6-6 as Hall scored.

The Cougars had a chance to retake the lead in the eighth inning as they put runners on first and second with one out, however, the Dixie State hurlers worked out of the jam. The Trailblazer had their chance to end the contest in the ninth but with a runner at second base, Billy Sanford sent the game to extra innings with a strikeout of Bice.

A golden opportunity was missed in the 10th inning for the Cougars. With the bases loaded and one out, Dixie State reliever Chance Abrath induced Pablo O'Connor into an inning ending double play. In their half of the frame, Drew McLaughlin hit a two-out, base loaded single to complete the Trailblazers rally.

Both Dergazarian and Tovalin posted four hit games to lead the Cougar hitters. Tovalin reached base all six plate appearances. Staudinger concluded his solid afternoon with a 2-for-4 effort with a run and three RBI.

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