Utah Tech closed out the non-conference portion of its 2023 schedule on a sour note after a hard-fought 4-3 loss at BYU on Wednesday night at Gail Miller Field.
 
The Trailblazers (28-16) drew first blood in the in-state battle with single runs in the second and third innings to jump out to a 2-0 advantage. Utah Tech strung together a pair of two-outs in the second, with Laura Lockard cashing in a Rachel Campbell double with an RBI-single to left field.
 
Blazer lead-off hitter Tanya Windle then made a two-run UT cushion an inning later with her third home run of the season, a towering one-out blast to straight-away center field.
 
Meanwhile, sophomore pitcher Attlyn Johnston (L, 8-6) kept the Cougars at bay in the early going, escaping a bases loaded jam in the first while stranding another base runner in the home second.
 
However BYU (25-13) would break through with a Huntyr Ava solo homer in the third before striking for three runs in the fourth to chase Johnston and vault out to a 4-2 lead.
 
Utah Tech cut the deficit to 4-3 in the sixth with an Oaklee Trapp RBI-single with two outs in the sixth, and managed to get the lead-off batter on base in the seventh after Campbell reached on a walk.
 
Unfortunately the Trailblazers could not take advantage as BYU turned a back-breaking double play, while Cougar hurler Kaysen Korth retired LB Kahahawai-Kekona on strikes to end the game.
 
Utah Tech returns to WAC play with a three-game road series at in-state rival Southern Utah this Saturday and Sunday in Cedar City.