Behind seven strong innings from sophomore lefthander Evan Vasiliou, timely hitting, and a solid defensive effort, Utah Tech baseball snapped its six-game losing skid with a 4-1 victory over Tarleton State in game two of a three-game WAC series on Saturday afternoon at Bruce Hurst Field.  
 
After Vasiliou escaped two-out trouble in the Tarleton first, the Trailblazers (9-25/7-10 WAC) plated the game's first run with two outs in the home half when Hunter Katschke doubled home Ethan He, who drew a lead-off walk.
 
Vasiliou (W, 3-4) would go on to make quick work of the Texans from there as he faced the minimum over the next five innings and needed only 60 total pitches to get through six innings complete, thanks in large part to several key defensive plays behind him. 
 
In fact, only one Texan batter reached base over those next five innings, that being outfielder Tyson Drake, who walked with two outs in the third. However Drake was thrown out trying to steal second base when Blazer catcher Connor Tallakson threw a strike to He to end the inning.
 
Utah Tech tacked on three big insurance runs in the sixth, which started with a Katschke double to right center. Then after an Ethan Royal infield single, Jack Walker ambushed a 2-1 Grant Garza pitch and sent it well over the left field wall for his second home run of the season to stake the Trailblazers to a 4-0 cushion.
 
Tarleton State (19-15/9-8 WAC) spoiled the Blazers' shutout bid in the seventh when after Vasiliou hit Cole Miears with a pitch to start the inning, Cris Enriquez doubled high off the wall in center field to bring Miears around to score.
 
However the sophomore southpaw bore down to retire the next three Texans in order to keep it a three-run game. 
 
The Texans threatened to again cut into the lead after a pair of two-out walks in the eighth, but reliever Carson Angeroth induced a sharp ground ball that was flagged down by shortstop Petey Soto Jr., who off his back foot flipped the ball to He at second to end the stanza. 
 
Carson Bonus (S, 1) then came on and worked around a one-out walk in the ninth to record his first save of the season. 
 
The Trailblazers collected five hits on the day, with He adding his name to the hit column with a lead-off single in the seventh. 
 
Vasiliou's seven innings were a career high and he finished with one strikeout on the afternoon. 
 
Utah Tech will go for the overall series victory in Sunday's finale beginning at 11:05 a.m. (MT).