There was a lot of action on the diamond this week in Utah Tech sports, as baseball and softball played a combined nine games.
Baseball picked up three wins, highlighted by a walk-off win vs. Fresno State University, and its first-ever victory against the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Women’s track and field was also in action, hosting the Utah Tech Invitational March 22.
Baseball
The baseball team played five games during the week, starting with a home game against Brigham Young University March 17.
Cooper Smith hit his first career home run against the Cougars, but the Trailblazers fell 18-5 against their in-state foe.
Utah Tech then battled Fresno State March 19-20, taking two wins from the reigning Mountain West Conference champions.
First, the Trailblazers’ bats came alive in a 17-13 victory March 19. The Bulldogs would jump out to a 4-1 lead in the top of the second, but UT answered with eight runs – including a three-run home run by Kyle McDaniel – to take a 12-4 lead to the fourth.
The game was far from over, however, as nine of the next ten runs to cross the plate were Bulldogs, evening the score at 13 in the eighth.
Utah Tech had a response in the bottom of the eighth inning, as a McDaniel two-run single lifted the team to the slugfest 17-13 win.
The Trailblazers then wrapped up the week’s home schedule March 20, once again getting the best of Fresno State, 8-7.
Utah Tech would jump out to a 4-1 advantage through three frames, but the Bulldogs would score the next five runs to make it a 6-4 score.
UT battled back to tie things up in the eighth, and the game would ultimately be sent to extra innings.
The Bulldogs would regain the lead in the tenth on a solo home run, but the Traiblazers would walk it off in the home half of the frame as Finnegan Stewart blasted a two-run homer to center field to secure the two-game sweep.
“I came into the game late, tried to stay locked in in the dugout, be behind my boys, and cheer them on. And then at the dish, try to see something up and honestly, do damage, and I got it and delivered,” said Stewart, the sophomore outfielder from Anaheim Hills, California, after his winning hit.
Utah Tech then traveled to Sin City to battle UNLV to conclude the week March 21-22.
The Hustlin’ Rebels would record an 11-1 run-rule victory in game one, but the Trailblazers returned the favor by the same score in game two. The victory in the series finale was the first-ever victory over UNLV in program history.
Brandon Kosel tossed a gem on the mound in the final game in Vegas, recording five shutout innings while allowing just four hits and striking out six.
Winning three of four to wrap up the weekend, the Trailblazers’ record now stands at 16-9 overall.
Up next, Utah Tech heads to the Midwest to face Southern Illinois (March 27-29) and Saint Louis (March 30).
Softball
Utah Tech softball hit the road, playing four games total in Las Vegas and Orem while compiling a 1-3 record.
First, the Trailblazers faced UNLV March 17, falling 11-3 in five innings.
UT then turned its attention to Western Athletic Conference play, taking on Utah Valley University March 20-21.
The March 20 series opener was a pitching battle, as the Wolverines secured a 5-2 victory while holding the Trailblazers to five hits.
The two teams then played a doubleheader March 21, splitting the pair of games.
Utah Tech earned its first WAC victory in game one, taking it 8-6 behind three-hit performances from Kinley Pappas and Lakaiya-Braessia Kahahawai-Kekona.
Utah Valley would exact its revenge in game two, winning 8-7 on a walk-off bases-loaded walk to take the Old Hammer Rivalry series.
Pappas had an explosive week at the plate for the Trailblazers, hitting .818 (9-for-11) while collecting three doubles, two triples, a home run, and seven RBIs.
For her strong performance, the Eugene, Oregon native was named the WAC Player of the Week.
With the week’s results, UT’s record is now 11-20 overall and 1-2 in WAC play.
The Trailblazers now return home to Karl Brooks Field for a rivalry series vs. Southern Utah University March 27-28.
Track
The women’s track and field hosted the annual Utah Tech Invitational March 21 at Greater Zion Stadium, breaking a program record while securing three top-three finishes.
Averie Perriton set a new all-time mark in the women’s 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 11:01.41, while UT also notched 22 total top-eight results.
The Trailblazers’ next meet will be the UNLV Rebel ELITE April 3-4 in Las Vegas.
This article was originally written for Utah Tech’s student newspaper, Sun News.
Photo credit: Utah Tech Athletics.
