ST. GEORGE, Utah—The UH Hilo softball team was just a few outs away from beginning its season at 2-0 on Thursday before host Dixie State rallied back for a 5-4 victory in nine innings at the Canyons Softball Complex.

The Vulcans, who had won earlier this morning with a 9-1 mercy rule verdict over Central Washington, had a 4-0 lead heading into the home half of the sixth before the Trailblazers erupted to tie the game and eventually win it via the international tiebreaker and a sacrifice fly.

UH Hilo is now 1-1. The Trailblazers, an NCAA tournament team last season that won 42 games, is now 2-1.

Kiarra Lincoln had three hits and scored twice, and Markie Okamoto went 2-for-4 to lead the offense. Starting pitcher Leah Gonzales was stellar through five innings, having only given up three hits and no runs before things came unraveled in the sixth. She left the game with no decision, allowing six hits in 5.2 innings.

Gonzales almost worked out of trouble in the sixth when the Trailblazers loaded the bases with a single and two walks. But with two outs, Destiny Diaz jump-started the hosts with a grand slam homer to tie the game at 4-4.

Billi Derleth entered to get the final out of the inning to send the game to the seventh. Lincoln doubled and moved to third, but was stranded in the top half. Derleth worked out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom half, and neither team scored in the international tiebreaker eighth.

The Vulcans went down 1-2-3 in the ninth, but Dixie State broke through with a lead-off single and a sacrifice fly to bring home the winning run.

Both teams had seven hits in the game, with Shea Clements providing three for the Trailblazers.

Earlier, the Vulcans wasted no time getting on the board in the top of the first. Lincoln led off with a single and would later score on Okamoto's bunt single (1-0).

While Gonzales was shutting down the Trailblazer offense, UHH added another run in the fourth. With two outs, Chloe Domingo doubled and freshman Kamalei Labasan drove in her first collegiate run with a single to make it 2-0.

The Vulcans added insurance in the fifth with singles by Lincoln and Okamoto, and a sacrifice fly by Vevesi Liilii to run the count to 4-0.

But it would turn out not to be enough insurance when two walks and a single loaded the bases for Diaz and her grand slam.

The Vulcans continue Courtyard Classic play with Friday games versus Western Washington (12:30 MT) and Northwest Nazarene (5:30 pm).