(Phoenix - April 25, 2025) - The Trailblazers dropped a doubleheader on Friday night at #25 Grand Canyon falling 5-3 in game one and 13-2 in five innings in game two at GCU Softball Stadium.

Utah Tech (15-32, 6-17 WAC) outhit Grand Canyon (39-6, 17-2 WAC), 9-5 in game one before the Lopes came back in the nightcap to edge the Trailblazers, 13-5.

Freshman Kinley Pappas led the way offensively in game one with a 3-for-3 performance coming a triple shy of the cycle while six other Trailblazers had one base knock apiece.

The second game saw singles from five Trailblazers with runs scored by Carly Eldredge and Rylie Haith.

In the circle, Sauren Garton tossed her ninth complete of the game in the opener throwing six innings limiting the nationally ranked Lopes to five hits, five runs, four earned and struck out two.

The second game saw a trio of hurlers split between Riley Price, Lexie Wilson and Cemryn Pickett.

Game One Recap
The Trailblazers raced out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first with Pappas jumping on the first pitch from Lopes hurler Taryn Batterton for her third home run of the season.

Singles by Eldredge and Haith put two Trailblazers on the base paths as the pair were each driven home by RBI singles by Gabi Giroux and Drew McKown, respectively.

GCU responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first on a bases-loaded walk and sacrifice fly before tying the contest at three in the fourth with another sacrifice fly.

The Lopes tacked on a pair of go-ahead runs in the fifth thanks to an RBI single up the middle and a third sacrifice fly of the contest to push ahead, 5-3.

A one-out double to left-center by Marisa Rubio in the seventh brought the tying run to the dish, but Giroux and Kennedy Embrey each flew out to end the comeback threat for UT.

Game Two Recap
The Trailblazers jumped out to another quick lead in game two with a two-run first inning.

A pair of two-out singles by Eldredge and Haith put a pair of runners on base for Rubio, who ripped a two-run RBI single to right field to put UT ahead, 2-0.

Unfortunately for the Trailblazers, it was all Grand Canyon from there as the Lopes responded with a four-run bottom of the inning.

GCU extended their lead to 6-2 in the second before breaking the game open in the third with a six-run frame and closed out their scoring tacking on one more run in the fourth to complete the run-rule win.

Up Next
The series closes out on Saturday afternoon with the series finale at 1 p.m. at GCU Softball Stadium.