Utah Tech came away with a split of the middle two games of its four-game weekend series at Cal Poly on Saturday afternoon at Baggett Stadium.
 
After getting tripped up in the first game in a 3-2 thriller, the Trailblazers used timely hitting and defense, along with seven solid innings from Carston Herman, to claim their first win of the series by a 6-2 count in the nightcap.
 
Game one was a see-saw affair, with the Mustangs drawing first blood in the fourth inning thanks to a Braxton Thomas solo home run.
 
The Trailblazers had their chances in the early going, but they could not take advantage of five walks and one hit batter as they stranded six runners on the base paths over their first four offensive frames. 
 
Utah Tech (13-38) finally broke through with a pair of runs in the fifth, when after loading the bases with no outs on a walk and two hit batters, the Blazers were able to push across pair of runs on an Aaron Perez ground out and a balk to take their first lead of the series at 2-1. 
 
Meanwhile, freshman righthander Cade Montgomery managed to navigate his way through the first five innings of his start, limiting Cal Poly to that one run and six hits.
 
However the Mustangs would wrestle lead back in the sixth, touching up the freshman for two runs on four singles in the stanza to jump back out in front by a run.
 
The Blazers had a couple of late opportunities late with runners on second base in both the eighth and ninth innings, but could not get the big hit as the Mustangs came away with the win.
 
As was the case in Friday's opener, Utah Tech was limited to just four base hits, with Garrett Cutting accounting for the lone extra-base hit with a pinch-hit double in the eighth.
 
Montgomery (L, 0-3) struck out four in a career-best six innings of work, during which he scattered three runs and 10 hits. 
 
The Trailblazer bats finally got going to open the nightcap as Utah Tech scored in four of their first five offensive innings to bolt out to a 6-2 advantage.
 
Kyle McDaniel doubled to lead off the game and scampered home with the game's first run thanks to a two-out Perez single.
 
Cal Poly ( 30-19) countered with two runs in the home first, only to see the Trailblazers answer with two more runs in the second and another tally in the third.
 
Jack Walker started the Blazer second with a double, and Connor Tallakson would trade places with him with a two-out double of his own to knot the score at 2-2. Tallakson was then able to cross the plate carrying the go-ahead run after two passed balls by Mustang catcher Owen Firestone.
 
The Trailblazers padded their lead in the third when Cutting ripped a 1-1 Josh Volmerding offering down the left field line to bring both Hank Dodson and Perez around to score. 
 
Cutting kept the vibe going in the fifth, splitting the gap with a one-out double to left center, and later scored on an two-out Ethan Royal single to right. 
 
Herman (W, 3-5) made those runs stand as he settled in after his rocky first inning, retiring 18 of the next 21 Mustangs he faced with five strikeouts over his next six innings. 
 
Herman gave way to the Trailblazer bullpen in the eighth, and the Mustangs managed to quickly get two base runners on with no outs. However, junior reliever Ky Decker snuffed out the potential rally by inducing a big 4-6-3 double play and a pop out on the infield.
 
Decker went on to set Cal Poly down in order in the ninth to close out Utah Tech's first win of the weekend, and of its overall series against the Mustangs. 
 
Utah Tech rapped out 10 hits in game two, five of which went for doubles. Perez doubled as part of a season-high tying three-hit effort, while McDaniel and Cutting collected two hits apiece. 
 
Meanwhile Herman, whose seven innings of work tied a career high, won for the second time in his last four starts overall. 
 
Utah Tech will look to clinch the overall series split in Sunday's finale beginning at 1 p.m. (MT).