(Arlington, Texas - March 7, 2025) - The Trailblazers opened WAC play on Friday afternoon at UT Arlington splitting a pair of contests against the Mavericks.

Utah Tech (10-13, 1-1 WAC) won a pitcher's duel in game one, 3-1 before dropping game two, 11-3 in six innings.

The Trailblazers totaled nine hits in the first game and added seven hits in the nightcap.

Led by the duo of Kinley Pappas and Carly Eldredge, the pair each notched two hits apiece in both contests.

Pappas hit her second home run of the season in game two and Elredge scored a run in game one.

In the circle, Sauren Garton earned her fifth win of the season in game one tossing her sixth complete game of the season.

She held the Mavericks to seven hits, one unearned run, walked one and struck out one.

The second game saw Riley Price get the start before being replaced by Lexie Wilson, who finished out the contest throwing the final 5.1 innings.

Game One Recap
After a scoreless first three innings, the Trailblazers got the low-scoring affair started with a pair of runs in the fourth.

A leadoff single by Pappas and a walk to LB Kahahawai-Kekona put a pair on base for Rylie Haith, who smacked an RBI single through the right side driving in Pappas for a quick 1-0 lead.

Two batters later, an RBI single back up the middle by Eldredge drove in Kahahwai-Kekona.

The Trailblazers made it 3-0 in the fifth with an RBI double by Kahahawai-Kekona.

Heading into the bottom of the seventh needing only three outs for her third shutout of the season, UT Arlington (11-9, 1-1 WAC) broke up Garton's shutout bid with a run after a Trailblazer fielding error at third base.

With the tying run coming to the dish, Garton got a strikeout and ground out to shutdown the Mavericks' comeback attempt.

Game Two Recap
A leadoff home run by Pappas got the Trailblazers off and running in game two, but UTA quickly answered back with a seven-run frame in the bottom of the first for a 7-1 lead.

Two more runs came across for the Mavs with one run apiece in the second and third innings before a two-run home run by Kahahawai-Kekona in the fourth cut the UTA lead to 9-3.

The Mavs responded with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the frame and walked off with the run-rule win in the sixth after an errant throw by the Trailblazers behind the plate.

Up Next
The Trailblazers and Mavericks close out the series with the rubber match on Saturday at 11 a.m.