ST. GEORGE, Utah--Host Dixie State scored three runs in the eighth inning to pull away from visiting Hawai`i Hilo in the opening game of a four-game set on Thursday night in front of 354 fans at Bruce Hurst Field, 9-5.

There were 24 hits in the game, and the Trailblazers had 13 of them to improve to 9-12 in the Pacific West Conference and to 13-18 overall. The Vulcans dropped to 7-10 in conference play and to 11-14 on the season.

Kyle Yamada, Mano Manago and Kila Zuttermeister each had two of UH Hilo's 11 hits. For Dixie State, Tyler Hallow went 4-for-4 with a double and a RBI and Kyle Hoffman was 3-for-4.

The Vulcans got on the board first with some help from their hosts. The first two batters of the game got on base via Trailblazer errors, and Phillip Steering capitalized with a two-run double to make the score 2-0 before Dixie got an out. Manago would soon bring home Steering with a single to up the lead to 3-0.

Dixie State chipped away against starter Cole Nakachi and tied it in the third inning. UH Hilo answered in the fourth when Zuttermeister singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and came home on Dylan Sugimoto's single. The Trailblazers tied it again in the bottom half of the inning, and it stayed that way until the sixth (4-4).

The Trailblazers then stole the momentum with a double suicide squeeze. With a drawn-in infield and runners on second and third, both Hoffman and Hallow scored on Jagun Leavitt's bunt, Hallow never breaking stride after rounding third base when the Vulcans threw Leavitt out at first base, taking a 6-4 lead. The Vulcans would get one run back in the seventh when Manago singled, stole second and scored on Zuttermeister's single up the middle. (6-5).

But that would be the last run for UH Hilo. The Trailblazers added cushion with three runs on four hits and two Vulcan errors in the eighth, and Tanner Howell put UHH down in order in the ninth.

The two teams will face off again on Friday night, with first pitch set at 6 p.m. Mountain time.