Tyson Fisher legged out three doubles and drove in three runs to help lead Dixie State to a 2020 Opening Day victory at Cal State San Marcos Friday afternoon at the CSUSM Baseball Field.

The Trailblazers (1-0) struck for three two-out runs in their opening at-bat of the season, the first coming on an RBI-single from preseason All-America pick Jake Engel. Then after a Tyler Hollow walk, Fisher doubled to the left-center gap to drive home baserunners and stake DSU to a 3-0 lead.

However that lead would be short-lived as San Marcos (0-1) struck for three unearned runs in the home half of the first, and would tack on another run in the second to vault to a 4-3 advantage.

Dixie State wrestled the lead right back in third as the Blazers loaded the bases with two outs, and Jake Brown promptly unloaded them with a bases-clearing double to left field to give his side a 6-4 cushion. 

DSU tacked on another run in the fifth, then broke the game open with four runs in the sixth to extend to an 11-4 advantage. Lane Pritchard and Braden Stutzman were both hit by pitches with one out in the frame, and Tanner Harper cashed in the first free baserunner with a double to left field. Engel followed with a single to drive in Stutzman, while Hollow and Fisher also collected RBI later in the rally. 

While the offense was hitting on all cylinders, Blazer pitching limited the Cougars to just one run and seven hits over the next five innings, though CSUSM did manage to push across two runs and had two on and no one out in the eighth. That would be as close as San Marcos would get as DSU hurler Ethan Fowlks retired the next three Cougars he faced to quell the rally.

Dixie State put the game out of reach the ninth as the Trailblazers scored three more runs, highlighted by a two-run Pritchard single, and Zach Thomas retired San Marcos in order in the home ninth to close out the win.

Fisher finished the day 4-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored to pace the Blazer offense, while Engel and Hollow rapped out two hits apiece. DSU pounded out 13 hits in its season opener, seven of which went for doubles. Freshman southpaw Benton Hart (W, 1-0) fanned four and scattered two hits over 3.1 innings of scoreless relief to earn the victory in his collegiate debut. 

The two teams will play game two of their three game series on Saturday beginning at 12 noon (PT).