Utah Tech suffered its first home loss of the 2023 season after a hard-fought 6-5 decision in eight innings vs. Portland State in the Trailblazers' second game of their own Invitational tournament on Saturday afternoon at Karl Brooks Field.
 
The Trailblazers (10-6), who were the "visitors" for Saturday's game, jumped out to a quick 3-0 first inning lead thanks to consecutive RBI-singles from LB Kahahawai and Oaklee Trapp, which was followed later by a Shea Clements run-scoring flyout.
 
PSU (6-11) countered with two runs of its own in its first swings of the game, but Utah Tech managed to get one of those runs back in the fifth to extend to a 4-2 advantage.
 
The Vikings again answered with two runs in their half of the fifth, both of which came on a Bailee Noland home run to left field.
 
The score remained tied until the eighth when Clements chased home Kahahawai on a flyout to center field.
 
Portland State would pull even with a one-out Ellie Babbitt run-scoring single, and would walk it off when Maddie Thompson laced two-out hit up the middle to drive home the winning run. 
 
Utah Tech will continue tournament play on Sunday afternoon with a pair of games, beginning with a match-up vs. UNLV at 3 p.m. UT will then close the day against Idaho State at 5:30 p.m.