ST. GEORGE, Utah — Azusa Pacific baseball lost the opening game to former PacWest foe Dixie State 8-7. The Cougars scored six runs in the final three innings but their comeback fell just one run short. Azusa Pacific outhit the Trailblazers 10-8 but its five defensive errors in the first six innings put them in a 7-1 hole they couldn't quite climb out of.

How it Happened: 

Dixie State opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning when they scored twice against starting pitcher A.J. Woodall. After the leadoff runner reached on an error, a two-run home run followed by Jake Engel putting the Trailblazers in front early. 

The Cougars cut the deficit in the next half inning as junior infielder Joseph Kim hit an opposite field home run for his first of the year cutting the Dixie State lead to 2-1.

The Trailblazers then scored three in the bottom half of the third against Woodall. Another error hurt the Cougars in the inning as two unearned runs came around to score with two outs, 5-1 Dixie State through three innings. The Trailblazers would pick up two more in the following inning on an RBI single and sacrifice fly to reach their biggest lead of the ballgame, 7-1.

After being held scoreless for four straight innings, Azusa Pacific broke through in the seventh inning. Ironically enough, the rally started with an error from Dixie State this time as junior outfielder Casey Dykstra reached with one out. After a Griffen Herrera single, Osvaldo Tovalin doubled in Dykstra to create some momentum for the Cougars. Still trailing 7-2, the Cougars got within three after a wild pitch and sacrifice fly each scored a run creating a 7-4 ballgame entering the seventh inning stretch.

The Cougars turned to the bullpen after five innings, as senior reliever Kenneth Pettibone tossed two scoreless innings. In Pettibone's second appearance on the season, he allowed just one hit and struck out one.

In the eighth inning, Jake Engel hit his second home run of the game, this time off of reliever Jon Keane's first pitch. Keane proceeded to retire the next three Trailblazers in order keeping the score at 8-4 in favor of Dixie State going into the ninth inning.

The Cougars wouldn't go down without a fight in the ninth however. Things started with a Dykstra leadoff single followed by a Herrera double creating a second and third situation for Tovalin. The 2019 All-American drove in his second and third RBI of the game with a single up the middle cutting the Dixie State lead to 8-6. Still without an out in the inning, Nick Estrella was hit by a pitch sending Kim to the plate with first and second. Kim singled through the right side scoring Tovalin from second, making it 8-7. But, on the play pinch-runner Max Tsai was thrown out at third trying to advance. The Cougars rally would be halted right there as they dropped the first game of the road series 8-7. 

The Cougars and Trailblazers will play three more times in the next two days. A doubleheader will occur tomorrow, Friday February 14th. The first game begins at 12 p.m. mountain time, while the second will follow the first around 3 p.m. mountain time.