Utah Tech battled back from an early deficit to walk off California Baptist, 7-6, in the finale of a three-game WAC home series on Saturday afternoon at Karl Brooks Field.
 
The Trailblazers (28-15/13-5 WAC) not only completed a series sweep of the Lancers and maintained their hold of first place in the WAC standings with the win, they also gave long-time head coach Randy Simkins his 500^th-career NCAA victory at Utah Tech (500-209).
 
A Utah Tech triumph did not look like a possibility after the CBU (25-21/9-9 WAC) first innings as the Lancers took advantage of three Blazer errors to plate five unearned runs.
 
Utah Tech managed to get two of those runs back in the home first, and chipped away at the deficit with single runs in the fourth and sixth frames to make it a 6-4 game after six complete.
 
After retiring CBU in order in the seventh, the Trailblazers drew a pair of one-out walks and would load the bases on a two-out free pass issued to Carly Eldredge.
 
Utah Tech lead-off hitter Tanya Windle then stepped up and turned a 1-2 Jazmine Castaneda offering into a double down the first base line, which chased home all three Blazer base runners to end the game. 
 
Windle, Eldredge and Laura Lockard each tallied two hits as Utah Tech outhit CBU by a 10-9 count. Freshman pitcher Sauren Garton (W, 10-5), who came on with two outs in the first, struck out five and limited the Lancers to just one unearned run and six hits over the final 6.1 innings to earn her 10^th win of the season. 
 
Utah Tech begins the home stretch of the 2023 season with seven-straight games against in-state opponents, starting with a non-conference road date at BYU this Wednesday in Provo beginning at 5 p.m.