Five Trailblazer sports teams were in action this past week, highlighted by a rivalry series sweep for baseball and a season-best team finish for women’s golf.
Baseball
The baseball team put together a strong week overall, bouncing back from an early loss to rattle off four straight wins — highlighted by a weekend sweep of in-state rival Utah Valley University.
On April 15, Utah Tech exploded offensively in an 18–8 win over Washington State, putting together one of its most complete performances of the season after an 8-6 defeat to UNLV April 14.
The lineup produced up and down the order, with multiple players turning in multi-hit games and driving in runs. Utah Tech scored in bunches throughout the game, using a mix of power and timely hitting to pull away and even the week at 1–1.
That offensive momentum carried into the weekend series at Utah Valley, where the Trailblazers delivered their best stretch of the season.
In the series opener April 17, Utah Tech earned a 7–4 win, setting the tone early. The Trailblazers jumped out in front and never looked back, combining timely hitting with steady pitching. The middle of the lineup once again produced key RBIs, while the pitching staff limited Utah Valley’s chances late to secure the win.
The second game April 18 proved to be the turning point of the series, as Utah Tech rallied for a 6–5 victory. Trailing late, the Trailblazers came through with clutch at-bats in the late innings to take the lead. The comeback showcased the team’s resilience, and the bullpen followed it up by shutting the door to lock down the one-run win and clinch the series.
Utah Tech completed the sweep April 19 with a high-scoring 13–10 win, capping off a dominant weekend at the plate. The Trailblazers’ offense stayed hot, delivering multiple extra-base hits and big innings to keep pace in a back-and-forth game. Several players turned in standout performances, including multi-RBI efforts, as Utah Tech consistently answered every Utah Valley push. The ability to maintain offensive pressure ultimately secured the sweep.
Over the final four games of the week, Utah Tech’s offense was the story, combining for 44 runs while showing depth throughout the lineup.
Miller Durham led the way for UT during the week, batting .636 (14-for-22) with four RBIs and nine runs scored as the team finished the week 4-1.
“It feels great,” head coach
Chris Pfatenhauer said after securing the sweep over UVU. “The most important thing is where it puts us in the standings. Our goal and our standards are at a certain level, and we want to keep grinding to get to that point.”
UT is now 27-14 overall and atop the WAC with a 5-1 record. They will battle Brigham Young University April 20 before a crucial WAC series at California Baptist University April 24-26.
Softball
The Utah Tech Trailblazers softball team played four games during the week, beginning with a road contest at BYU and followed by a home series against the University of Texas at Arlington.
Utah Tech opened April 14 with a 9–6 loss at BYU. The Trailblazers scored in multiple innings and finished with six runs, but BYU used a three-run fourth inning to take the lead and maintain it through the later frames.
The Trailblazers then hosted UT Arlington for a doubleheader April 17. In the opener, the Mavericks recorded a 15–4 win, building separation with runs across several innings. In Game 2, UT Arlington followed with a 12–1 victory in five innings, scoring consistently early while limiting Utah Tech’s opportunities at the plate.
The series concluded April 18 with a 9–4 result in favor of UT Arlington. Utah Tech recorded four runs and had baserunners throughout the game, but UT Arlington added runs in the middle innings to secure the sweep.
Over the four-game stretch, Utah Tech scored 15 runs and allowed 45. After a 0-4 week, UT is now 16-28 overall and 3-9 in WAC play.
Up next, the Trailblazers travel to Tarleton State University for a three-game series April 24-25.
Women’s golf
Women’s golf turned in a strong performance at the Montana State University Bobcat Desert Classic April 13-15, finishing third overall.
Samantha Phelan led the way with a runner-up finish, posting a -2 score and ultimately being named the WAC Golfer of the Week.
Utah Tech heads to McKinney, Texas, for the WAC Championships April 20-22.
Women’s track
The track team delivered one of the standout performances of the week in Southern California, breaking three school records and finishing with 23 top-five marks. Multiple athletes posted personal bests, contributing to one of the team’s most successful meets this season.
Averie Perriton broke the Utah Tech 3000m steeplechase record with a time of 10:29.62.
Utah Tech will compete at the Southern Utah University Coliseum Championships to close out the regular season April 30.
Women’s tennis
Women’s tennis competed in the WAC Tournament against No. 2 seed Abilene Christian, falling in the match, 4-0.
Despite the result, the Trailblazers battled against one of the conference’s top teams, gaining valuable postseason experience to close out the year.
You can find the remaining Utah Tech Athletics schedule
here.
This article was originally written for Utah Tech’s student newspaper, Sun News Daily.
Photo credit: Utah Tech Athletics.
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