The split moves the Lancers to 35-9 overall, 28-6 PacWest, while the Red Storm, the defending conference champs, are now 26-14, 22-12.
The Lancers, who are going for their third straight conference title after winning back-to-back Golden State Athletic Conference crowns, can win the PacWest title outright with one win in tomorrow's doubleheader, which begins at 11 a.m. (PDT).
In the opener, the Lancers trailed 4-3 heading to the ninth and were facing Daniel Zapata, the Red Storm closer who had given up just one run in 20 previous innings. Travis Sais led off with a single, and Matt Marnati drew one of three walks from Zapata. Blair Moore tied the game with a single to center, and after Zapata struck out Matt Daugherty, he walked Andy Crowley (intentionally) and Cole Bullard with the bases loaded, scoring Marnati with what turned out to be the winning run.
Erik Wallace (5-1) then put the finishing touches on a brilliant relief effort with a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out the final two outs. In his longest outing of the year, Wallace allowed just one hit and struck out four in six scoreless innings in relief of Patrick Smith.
"I just knew I had to come in and change the momentum," said Wallace, who entered with the Lancers trailing 4-2 in the fourth. "I tried to keep the ball down, throw strikes and give the offense a chance to score to get us back in it."
Kevin Odom started the game with a solo homer to left off starter Josh Mooney, who got a no-decision despite throwing 147 pitches in eight innings and leaving with a 4-3 lead. Zapata (2-1) was tagged with two runs in just one-third of an inning.
The Red Storm got three runs in the third, keyed by a two-RBI single by Jordan Hanley to take a 4-2 lead against Smith.
Moore and Crowley both doubled in the fifth to get the Lancers within 4-3.
Moore had three hits. Marnati was 2 for 4.
In the nightcap, the Lancers seemed headed towards a sweep with five runs in the first. Again, Moore and Crowley both doubled, and Bullard delivered a sacrifice fly. The Lancers had just two hits, but took advantage of a walk, a hit-by-pitch, a passed ball and an error.
However, Dixie State responded with five runs of its own in the bottom of the first against Devyn Rivera. All five of the runs scored with two outs, two of them scoring on wild pitches.
Marnati gave the Lancers the lead right back with a two-RBI double in the second to make it 7-5, but the Red Storm scored five more in the third, two of them unearned, to open a 10-7 lead. The Lancers got within 10-8 on an RBI single by Marnati in the fourth, but Dixie State got it right back and led 11-8 going to the seventh.
In the seventh, the Lancers again put on a rally, getting within 11-9 on an RBI single by Crowley. They still had runners at first and second with one out, but Austin Christianson came on and got Daugherty to fly out and Bullard to ground out to end the game.
Rivera (4-1) was tagged for eight earned runs and six hit in 2.2 innings. Jesse Arreola allowed one unearned run and just two hits in 3.1 innings of relief.
Bryce Anderson (3-2) threw five innings of relief for the win for the Red Storm.
Marnati was 2 for 4 with three RBIs. Matt Johnson, Moore and Crowley all had two hits apiece as well. Odom scored three times.
