Hunter Katschke drove in three runs and Dakoda West fired six strong innings to help Utah Tech clinch a four-game series sweep with an 11-7 triumph over CSU Bakersfield on Sunday afternoon at Bruce Hurst Field.
 
With the victory, Utah Tech extended its win streak to five-straight, and closed out its season-long, nine-game homestand with a 7-2 mark. 
 
In addition, the Trailblazers' four-game series sweep was the fourth in the program's brief NCAA Division I era overall. Utah Tech recorded three four-game series sweeps during its first D-I season in 2021. 
 
Utah Tech (12-11) led 6-0 after four innings complete, striking for two two-out runs in the third before breaking the game open with a four-run fourth.
 
Eliot Jones started the third-inning rally with a lead-off single, then after he stole second with two outs, the junior outfielder scored on a Katschke base hit to left center. Katschke would come around to score the team's second run on a Kyle McDonald opposite-field double to left.
 
The Blazers spun more two-out magic in the home fourth with consecutive singles from Jones, Petey Soto Jr. and Levi Randall. Soto Jr.'s base hit chased home Aaron Perez, who walked to lead off the stanza, while Jones scored his second run of the day Randall's safety.
 
Soto Jr. also went first-to-third on that play, and after Randall stole second, Katschke drove in both base runners with an opposite field single to right center. 
 
The run support bolstered West's (W, 1-3) fifth start of the season, during which he breezed through his first five innings and only surrendered one sixth-inning Roadrunner run and four total hits with three strikeouts.
 
Utah Tech turned things over to its bullpen in the seventh, and CSUB (7-15) took advantage, scoring six runs on three hits, two walks, and a costly error to cut the Blazer lead to 8-7.
 
The Trailblazers got two of those runs back with one swing of the bat after the stretch.  Ethan Royal reached on a lead-off single ahead of Perez, who belted his team-leading fourth home run of the season, an opposite field two-run shot over the wall in left, to push the lead to 10-7.
 
Aaron Morris came on in the eighth and quickly recorded three infield outs, and after the Blazers tacked on an insurance run in the home eighth, Ryan Kroepel needed only five pitches in a spotless ninth to close out the sweep.
 
Eight of the nine Trailblazers in the starting line-up recorded at least one hit, with five players notching multi-hit outings. Randall led the way with three hits out of the lead-off spot, while Katschke, Kroepel, Jones and Soto Jr. each collected two hits apiece. 

Utah Tech will turn around and open a four-game road swing with a quick trip north on Interstate 15 to Provo for a Monday matinee at in-state rival BYU. First pitch at Miller Park is set for 4 p.m.