The final home series of the season was all smiles and high-fives for the Dixie State University baseball team.
Coming into the weekend after a disappointing series against Fresno Pacific University, the Trailblazers bounced back and grabbed their second consecutive home sweep against the Academy of Arts University.
The sweep was especially meaningful to the seniors that won their final game at Bruce Hurst Field.
“I came into [this weekend] wanting to play my hardest,” said senior outfielder Miles Bice, a business major from Henderson, Nevada. “Taking it all in after a few wins is very sweet.”
The Trailblazers got things started Thursday by putting up 12 runs in the first game of the series. Redshirt senior shortstop Tyler Baker and redshirt senior outfielder Trey Kamachi each went 3-4 driving home a cumulative five RBIs.
The 2-6 hitters for DSU combined to drive in 11 of the 12 runs of the game. Junior pitcher Dylan File went the distance as he pitched a complete game allowing three runs on six hits. The Trailblazers’ defense backed up File by not committing an error — a reoccurring theme throughout the weekend.
A doubleheader Friday held much of the same for the Trailblazers. Senior pitcher Mason Hilty and junior pitcher Matt Mosca each threw complete-game shutouts. Hilty allowed six hits and allowed only one walk while Mosca surrendered just five hits and one free pass.
“We pitched the heck out of it this weekend,” head coach Chris Pfatenhauer said. “I thought we played really good defense, and I was happy with the way our guys competed.”
Baker continued hitting in the first game of the twin bill going 3-5 and scored two runs. Four other Trailblazers had two hits each as DSU cruised to an 11-0 win.
Redshirt senior Drew McLaughlin went 2-4 to lead the Trailblazers’ offense. He also recorded 2 RBIs to aid DSU to the win, 5-0.
File picked up his sixth win of the season while Hilty grabbed his eighth victory from the mound. Both pitchers recorded their 18th career win as a Trailblazer moving them into a tie for most career wins at DSU with Mike Dedrick.
The final game of the series was senior day for the Trailblazers. DSU scored all six of its runs throughout the game after two outs had already been recorded. McLaughlin and Baker each finished going 2-5 as DSU’s first and second hitters in the lineup.
Holding a one-run lead for most of the game, the Trailblazers opened things up by scoring five runs in the last two innings of play. DSU slammed the door on the Urban Knights in the ninth inning and notched the victory, 6-2.
“It’s good to come home after a tough series and get four big wins,” McLaughlin said. “Hopefully we can stay hot as we head to Hawaii.”
With the wins, DSU moves to 18-6 in the Pacific West Conference. The Trailblazers sit in second place behind Azusa Pacific University — a team DSU will face in the final four games of the regular season.
“These wins put us in a good position mathematically to win the conference,” Pfatenhauer said. “More importantly though, it gets our minds right. It gives us a good feeling heading into the final 12 games on the road.”
DSU enters a bye week but will travel to Hawaii and resume play April 21 against Hawaii Pacific University followed by a series against the University of Hawaii-Hilo before the showdown with APU May 8.
