Despite a late ninth-inning rally, Utah Tech dropped its first WAC series of the 2024 season after a 5-3 loss at UT Arlington on Saturday afternoon at Clay Gould Ballpark.
 
The Mavericks struck for two runs in both the second and fourth innings in support of UTA righthander Caylon Dygert (W, 2-1), who held Utah Tech (2-14/0-2 WAC) to only three hits and five total base runners through his first eight innings of work.
 
One of those two Blazer safeties did leave the yard as Garrett Cutting connected for his second home run of the season, a solo shot with two outs in the fifth.
 
However UT Arlington (6-9/2-0 WAC) managed to get that run back when Dygert's battery mate Parker Airhart homered to lead off the home fifth.
 
Utah Tech finally solved Dygert in the ninth, which started with an Ethan Royal lead-off single. Royal would advance to second on a ground out and came around to score one batter later on an Aaron Perez double to left field that chased the Maverick hurler from the game.
 
Hank Dodson then greeted UTA reliever Austin Wallace with a single that brought Perez around to score, which was followed by a Jack Walker pinch-hit single.
 
UTA went to the bullpen again and brought on reliever Nicholas Robb (S, 1), who worked around a two-out walk to record the final two outs and snuff out the Trailblazer rally and end the game. 
 
Utah Tech finished with seven hits on the day, with Royal accounting for two of those safeties including a lead-off double to open the game. Junior lefthander Carston Herman (L, 0-3) pitched into the fourth and struck out four, but did allow four runs and six hits. 
 
Utah Tech will look to salvage the final game of the three-game set, and close its eight-game road swing, on Sunday beginning 12 noon (CT).