(St. George, Utah - March 15, 2024) - The Trailblazers got WAC play underway on Friday afternoon splitting a doubleheader against Abilene Christian at Karl Brooks Field.

Utah Tech (8-16, 1-1 WAC) won the opener, 9-6 before dropping game two, 9-2.

Offensively, the Trailblazers totaled nine hits in each contest with Carly Eldredge, LB Kahahawai-Kekona and Marisa Rubio all racking up two hits apiece in the first game while the second game saw a pair of base knocks from Kahahawai-Kekona and the fifth home run of the season by Rachel Campbell.

In the circle, Attlyn Johnston made the start in game one tossing 5.1 innings before Sauren Garton came on for the final 1.2 innings to earn her third win of the season.

The second game saw Tyler Denhart and Danyelle Leone split pitching duties with Denhart being tagged with the loss.

Game One Recap
The Wildcats got the scoring started in the first inning with a sacrifice fly as ACU capitalized on a Utah Tech fielding error that allowed a leadoff single by Kaydee Bennett to get to second.

With Bennett moving to third on a groundout, a sacrifice fly by Catrin Hoffman made it 1-0 before the Trailblazers answered back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame.

Three straight leadoff walks for UT by starting pitcher Ella Beeman knocked her from the game before being relieved by Lina Russo.

The Blazers broke through on the scoreboard with a sacrifice fly to left by Campbell and after a walk to Kahahawai-Kekona loaded the bases, a hit by pitch by Oaklee Trapp brought home Gabi Giroux for a 2-1 lead.

A pair of scoreless innings followed before the Wildcats locked up the game at two in the fourth on an RBI single back up the middle.

The Trailblazers wasted no time responding taking back the lead on an RBI single down the left field line by Maka Sonognini. A hit by pitch to Giroux and a walk to Laura Lockard loaded the bases for Campbell, who doubled to center field driving home both Giroux and Sonognini for a 5-2 lead.

An RBI groundout by Sonognini in the fifth pushed the Trailblazers to a 6-2 lead, but the Wildcats responded with a four-run sixth inning to knot the game at six.

The Trailblazers answered right back with a three-run bottom of the sixth securing a two-run RBI single to left center by Trapp and a sacrifice fly by Eldredge to go ahead by the eventual final score of 9-6.

Garton worked around a leadoff double in the seventh to send down the next three Wildcats to hold on for the victory.

Game Two Recap
The second game of the day was not as kind to the Trailblazers as Abilene Christian raced out a 7-0 lead.

One run apiece in the first and second innings put the Wildcats ahead 2-0 before a five-run fourth inning, including a grand slam from cleanup hitter Sammie Shelander, put ACU ahead by seven.

The Blazers broke up the shutout bid with Campbell's solo home run to center to get the fourth inning started and after a double to left field by Kahahawai-Kekona, she came home to score after a single by Trapp and errant throw by the Wildcats.

ACU added a pair of seventh inning for the final margin as the Blazers were held to just three hits over the game's final three innings.

Up next
The Trailblazers and Wildcats close out the series on Saturday at noon.