Carston Herman struck out a career-high eight in seven shutout innings, while the Trailblazer defense played lights out, as Utah Tech salvaged the final game of its WAC weekend series at Grand Canyon with a 2-1 victory on Sunday afternoon at GCU Ballpark.
 
The win not only snapped the Trailblazers' (10-29/8-13 WAC) four-game skid, it also broke a 13-game losing streak to GCU that dates back when both teams were NCAA Division II members of the Pacific West Conference. 
 
Herman (W, 2-4) was dominant from the get-go as he no-hit the Lopes and faced the minimum through his first four innings of work. In fact, the junior lefthander only allowed one base runner over that opening stretch, a one-out walk in the GCU first inning which was erased on an inning-ending double play.
 
Meanwhile, the Trailblazers scored the only runs they would need in the third and fourth frames, with the first tally coming on a Kyle McDaniel double to right field that chased home Ethan Royal, who himself doubled to left center four pitches earlier.
 
Utah Tech tacked on another run an inning later when Brennen Study reached on a lead-off infield single, stole second, advanced to third on a ground out, and scored on a Garrett Cutting line out to centerfield.
 
In addition to the first-inning twin killing, the Utah Tech defense made several highlight reel plays behind Herman, but arguably the biggest play in his outing came in the Lopes' fifth inning.
 
With one out in the fifth after Tyler Wilson broke up the no-hit bid with a lead-off single and took second on a wild pitch, Eli Paton smacked a fly ball that was tailing to the gap in right center. 
 
However Blazer centerfielder Chase Rodriguez made a leaping grab just shy of the warning track to steal extra bases and force Wilson to retreat back to the second base bag.
 
GCU (22-18/13-5 WAC) spoiled the Trailblazers' shutout bid in the eighth when with runners on second and third and one out, Eddy Pelc got the Lopes on the scoreboard with a ground out to second.
 
After a walk put runners on the corners with two outs, junior reliever Justin Woodbury (S, 1) came on and got Zach Yorke to hit a sharp grounder to first base. Study dove to his right and made a terrific stop on the bounding ball and won the race to the bag to preserve the Blazers' lead. 
 
Woodbury then retired the Lopes in order in the ninth to close out the Trailblazer victory. 
 
Herman surrendered only two hits and needed 98 pitches to navigate his way through his seven innings of work in arguably his finest outing of his collegiate career. Herman's eight punchouts eclipsed his previous career high of six he recorded last season at Oklahoma State (3/12/23). 
 
The Trailblazers pounded out eight hits on the afternoon, with Herman's battery mate Hank Dodson, Study and Petey Soto Jr. each collecting two hits apiece. 
 
Utah Tech returns home for a five-game homestand, which begins on Monday afternoon with a non-conference game vs. Mountain West foe Nevada. First pitch at Bruce Hurst Field is set for 2:05 p.m.