ST. GEORGE, Utah – Dylan File struck out 10 Montana State University Billings batters en route to a three-hit shutout on Friday, as host No. 15 Dixie State University handed the Yellowjackets a 6-0 loss in the series opener at Bruce Hurst Field.
 
File allowed just three singles and one walk, and the DSU defense was error-free behind the junior right-hander. File threw 98 pitches, and allowed just one runner into scoring position in the game. DSU improved to 9-3 with the victory, and has won four straight games.

MSUB (2-6) received a six-inning, 107-pitch effort from senior starter Cody Cooper, who allowed six runs on six hits with eight strikeouts and three walks. "Coop came out and gave us a chance, and that was the cleanest he's looked this spring," said MSUB head coach Aaron Sutton. "We have to reset our minds, and get ready to go out and do a better job offensively tomorrow. Hopefully we can come out and get a spark going earlier, and get momentum back in our dugout in Game 2 of the series."

Zach Robinson, the reigning Great Northwest Athletic Conference and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association West Region Player of the Week, set the table with a leadoff single in the first, but was stranded at second as File pitched out of trouble. 

For Dixie, Tyler Mildenberg fought from an 0-2 hole to a 2-2 count, before picking up a base hit to center field with one out in the bottom of the first. Trey Kamachi ripped an RBI-triple to left on the very next pitch, and Logan Porter scored another run with a first-pitch groundout to make the score 2-0.
 
Landon Peterson kicked off a string of five straight Trailblazers retired, as he nabbed Tyler Baker in an attempt to swipe third base. Cooper battled for a five-pitch strikeout on Jake Davison, before retiring the

side in order on just five pitches in the bottom of the third.
 
Falling behind each of the first two hitters 2-0 in the fourth inning, Cooper gave up two more runs on a two-run home run by Porter to left. He worked around two more baserunners in the inning, striking out the side to limit the damage as DSU led 4-0.
 
File retired 12 straight hitters after Robinson's leadoff single, until Conner Linebarger broke the streak with a leadoff base hit in the top of the fifth.
 
Miles Bice created a run nearly single handedly in the bottom of the sixth, by drawing a walk, stealing second, and then scoring on a daring steal of home with two outs. Davison started a rally with a full-count single up the middle, and scored from first on a double in the gap by Bryce Feist to make the score 6-0.
 
The 'Jackets sought a spark with a single by Ryan Myers to start the seventh, but File retired the next six hitters with three strikeouts to maintain his shutout into the ninth inning. The junior ended the game with authority, striking out the final two Yellowjackets he faced to complete the shutout.
 
Freshman shortstop Max Hartgraves quickly atoned for a pair of errors in the bottom of the seventh inning, getting reliever Corbin Smith out of the jam by turning a ground ball into a double play along with Jake Tallman. Smith wound up throwing two stellar innings, giving up no hits or walks and using 25 pitches to get through seven hitters. "Corbin came in and worked at a good tempo, and threw a lot of strikes," Sutton said. "His stuff looked good, and I'm excited to get him up there on the mound again."
 
Kamachi was the only player with multiple hits in the game, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored. The Trailblazers were efficient at the plate, needing just six hits to plate their six runs and leaving just four runners on base. DSU also stole three bases in the game, while drawing three walks and two hit batsmen.
 
THE BUZZ: Cooper was picked as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game…Cooper moved into the top-10 in GNAC history with his eight strikeouts, as he now has 175 in his career to rank tied for eighth (Neil Elder, NNU, 2000-03)…File's 11 strikeouts were a career high…it was just the third time since the start of last season that the Yellowjackets were held to three hits in a game…MSUB is 3-19 all-time against Dixie State.
 
NEXT UP: The series continues Saturday with another 9-inning game starting at noon. Live statistics will be available online here.