Utah Tech salvaged the final game of its three-game WAC road series at Grand Canyon with a hard-fought 6-5 victory on Saturday afternoon at the GCU Softball Stadium. 
 
With the win the Trailblazers (25-15) maintained their hold on first place in the WAC standings at 10-5 with nine conference games remaining. 
 
After both teams struck for single runs in the first inning, Utah Tech took the lead for good in the second thanks to a Hannah Hughbanks run-scoring fly out and a two-out Shea Clements RBI-single.
 
Hughbanks collected her second RBI of the day two innings later with a double in the fourth to stretch the Utah Tech lead to 4-1. However the Lopes (33-9/9-6 WAC) countered with two runs of their own in their half of the frame to trim the deficit to 4-3.
 
The Trailblazers answered with single runs of their own in both the fifth and sixth stanzas. Those insurance runs turned out to be the difference as GCU rallied for two runs in the seventh and brought the potential game-winning run to the plate with two outs. 
 
However UT hurler Attlyn Johnson (S, 1) would get Madison Schaefer to pop up to Oaklee Trapp at second base to end the game. 
 
Hughbanks went 3-for-3 with a run scored to go with her two RBI, while Brooklyn Dowdle racked up two hits as the Trailblazers rapped out 10 safeties on the day. Tyler Denhart (W, 1-0) scattered two runs and four hits over three innings of relief with a pair of strikeouts to earn her first win of the season.  
 
Utah Tech returns home for a big three-game WAC series vs. California Baptist next weekend at Karl Brooks Field.