Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Utah Tech University Athletics

Rubio vs. BYU
Bailey Chamberlain / Utah Tech Athletics
10
Utah Tech UTU 2-4
11
Winner Sacramento State SAC 4-1
Utah Tech UTU
2-4
10
Final
11
Sacramento State SAC
4-1
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
Utah Tech UTU 4 0 0 2 2 1 0 1 10 13 3
Sacramento State SAC 1 0 0 1 5 2 0 2 11 7 1

W: Ortiz, Alexa (1-1) L: Wilson, Lexie (0-2)

Game Recap: Softball | | Utah Tech Athletics Media Relations

Trailblazers Drop 11-10 Heartbreaker to Hornets in Eight Innings

The Trailblazers tallied 13 hits against the Hornets, including five for extra bases.

(Honolulu, Hawaii - Feb. 13, 2025) - The Trailblazers got the Hawaii Spring Fling Tournament underway on Thursday afternoon falling 11-10 in eight innings to Sacramento State at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

Utah Tech (2-4) nearly doubled up Sacramento State (4-1) in hits finishing with 13 compared to seven for the Hornets.

Tying her career high with four base knocks, senior Marisa Rubio went 4-for-4 with three singles, a double, scored a run and drove in a career-best four RBI.

Kinley Pappas and LB Kahahawai-Kekona each tallied three hits apiece with Kahahawai-Kekona coming a home run shy of the cycle adding a pair of RBI and scored a run.

In the circle, Sauren Garton got the start tossing 4.2 innings allowing five hits, seven runs (four earned), walked two and struck out four. Riley Price and Lexie Wilson combined to work the final 2.2 innings with Wilson taking the hard-fought loss.

How It Happened
Playing as the visitors, the Trailblazers raced out to a 4-0 lead after the top of the first getting the scoring started with two outs and capitalized on a fielding error by the Hornets shortstop that allowed Carly Eldredge to score from second.

Baylee Howley followed with an RBI single to left and Rubio kept the offense clicking with a two-run RBI single back up the middle to bring around Howley and Jorja Crider.

Sacramento State answered with a run in the bottom of the first on a two-out RBI single, but the Trailblazers extended their lead to 6-1 in the fourth inning with a pair of runs coming on an RBI single to center by Kahahawai-Kekona.

After a solo home run by the Hornets, Rubio drove in two more runs in the fifth on a double to left center to push UT ahead, 8-2.

The Hornets responded with a five-run bottom of the frame, scoring a pair of runs, before capitalizing on a throwing error by the Trailblazers that would have ended the inning to go on to smack a three-run home run by Nikki Barboza to narrow the gap to 8-7.

The Trailblazers pushed the lead to 9-7 in the sixth with an RBI single to left by Pappas, but as they did all game Sacramento State kept fighting, answering back with two runs to knot the game at 9-9.

A scoreless seventh pushed the contest to extra innings and the Trailblazers went ahead 10-9 on an RBI single back up the middle by Eldredge, but a pair of runs for the Hornets proved to be the difference.

Back-to-back walks to lead off the frame loaded the bases for the Hornets and after throwing out a runner at the plate, a wild pitch and RBI single gave Sacramento State the comeback victory.

Game Notes
  • The Trailblazers fall to 0-4 all-time against Sacramento State and will face the Hornets again on Saturday night.
  • Rubio matched her career high of four hits set in a 10-7 loss at home to Weber State on Feb. 20, 2022.
  • Eldredge has now tallied a hit and reached base in all six games this season.
  • It was Kahahawai-Kekona's team-leading fourth game this season with multiple hits.
  • Utah Tech falls to 0-2 in extra innings this season after going 1-2 in such games in 2024.
Up Next
The Trailblazers continue play at the Hawai'i Spring Fling Tournament on Friday facing Western Illinois (2-2) at 4 p.m. and Hawaii (4-1) at 9 p.m. at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
Print Friendly Version