Utah Tech suffered its fourth-straight WAC series loss in heartbreaking fashion as Grand Canyon scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to walk off with an 8-7 victory on Saturday night at GCU Ballpark.
 
Trailing 1-0 after three innings complete, Utah Tech (9-29/7-13 WAC) broke a 12-inning scoreless drought in the series with a six-run fourth to race out to a commanding lead.
 
Utah Tech did all of its damage with one out in the frame as eight-straight Trailblazers reached base safely, which started with consecutive singles from Hunter Katschke and Brennen Study, and a Chase Rodriguez walk that loaded the bases.
 
Petey Soto Jr. was plunked on an 0-2 pitch to force home Katschke with the first run, which was followed by a Blake Borgogno RBI-single that gave Utah Tech its first lead of the series at 2-1.
 
Ethan Royal then went opposite field for a two-run single to push the Blazer advantage to 4-1 and chase GCU starter Connor Mattison for the game. 
 
Kyle McDaniel then greeted reliever Hunter Watkins with a single on his first pitch to bring Borgogno home, and Hank Dodson capped the rally two pitches later with a shot to right center to bring Royal around to score and make it a 6-1 game. 
 
GCU (22-17/13-4 WAC), which had been limited to four hits over its first five offensive frames, clawed back in the sixth, erupting for four runs of its own, with the big blow coming on an Alton Gyselman two-out, three-run home run that pared the Blazer lead to 6-5.
 
Utah Tech got one of those runs back in the seventh on Katschke's team-leading eighth homer of the year to push the lead to 7-5.
 
In the GCU ninth, Emilio Barreras singled and Cade Verdusco walked to start the inning. Tyler Wilson then singled home pinch runner Cooper Neville and following an Elijah Buries pop out, Zach Yorke laced a double down the right field line to drive in Verdusco and Wilson to end the game.
 
After being held to three total hits in Friday's series opening loss, Utah Tech pounded out 10 hits on Saturday night. McDaniel accounted for three of those safeties, including a pair of doubles to go with his RBI-single in the fourth, while Katschke tallied two hits and had two runs scored.
 
The loss spoiled a great outing by freshman hurler Cade Montgomery (ND), who struck out three and scattered one run on three hits over four innings in his second collegiate start. 
 
Utah Tech will look to salvage the final game of the three-game set on Sunday beginning 12 noon (PT).