Utah Tech found itself on the unlucky side of a 4-3 decision in its 2024 Western Athletic Conference season opener at UT Arlington on a cool and windy Friday night at Clay Gould Ballpark.
 
UTA (5-9/1-0 WAC) struck for a run the first inning on a Ryan Black one-out solo home run, and plated three two-out runs in the fourth en route to an early 4-0 advantage.
 
With runners on first and second in the home fourth, Maverick infielder Tyce Armstrong singled to left field to drive in a run and make a 2-0 lead. 
 
Then with the bases load after an infield single, Utah Tech righthander Dylan Gardner (L, 0-4) induced a high pop-up on the infield for what could have been the third out of the frame.
 
However the ball got caught up in the wind and eluded the Trailblazer defenders, which allowed two more runs to score on what was ruled as a double for Garrison Berkley.
 
Meanwhile the Utah Tech bats were held in check by UTA starter Zach Norris (W, 3-1), who retired the first 13 Trailblazers he faced until Chase Rodriguez touched him up for an opposite field home run to left with one out in the fifth.
 
The Trailblazers followed that up with two more runs in the seventh thanks to three-straight, one-out hits, including a Petey Soto Jr. RBI-single, while a two-out Maverick error allowed another run to score and make it a one-run game.
 
However Utah Tech would be limited to only one hit over its final two offensive frames as the Mavericks held on from there to draw first blood in the conference-opening series.
 
Rodriguez scored two runs and accounted for two of the Trailblazers' five hits on the night as he singled in the seventh to along with his second homer of the year. 
 
Gardner suffered the hard-luck loss, though he did strike out a season-high five over his five innings of work, while Trailblazer reliever Matt Nelson fanned four over three innings of one hit relief.  
 
Utah Tech will look to even the series in game two on Saturday afternoon beginning at 2 p.m. (CT).