Utah Tech was held in check offensively by a stout Santa Clara pitching performance as the Trailblazers dropped the first game of a three-game weekend road series, 8-1, on Friday night at Stephen C. Schott Stadium.
 
The Trailblazers (13-5/0-0 WAC) were stymied by Bronco ace Max Bayles (W, 2-0), who held Utah Tech hitless and struck out seven through the first four innings of play.
 
Meanwhile SCU (7-9) tallied single runs in the second and fourth frames, which bookended a two-run third, en route to a 4-0 lead as the game moved on to the fifth.
 
Utah Tech finally had its first real chance to break through in the fifth as the Blazers loaded the bases with two outs. 
 
Finnegan Stewart reached on a one-out single, while Hudson Manwaring drew a two-out walk and Petey Soto Jr. was plunked. However Bayles thwarted the threat by inducing an inning-ending Kyle McDaniel groundout.
 
After the Broncos plated an add-on run in the home fifth, Utah Tech designated hitter Kace Naone belted his third home run of the season to lead off the sixth to get the Blazers on the scoreboard.
 
Unfortunately that would be the only run the Trailblazers would score as Bayles and two relievers combined to limit Utah Tech to just two base runners the rest of the way. 
 
Utah Tech was held to just those two hits and four total walks offensively on the night. Meanwhile, McDaniel saw his incredible school record 58-game on-base streak come to an end after going 0-for-4 at the plate. 
 
The two teams will play the middle game of their three-game weekend series on Saturday afternoon beginning at 2 p.m. (MT).