Utah Tech lost both games of a doubleheader against Austin Peay on Friday at Bruce Hurst Field, dropping the middle two contests of their four-game weekend baseball series.
In the first game, Utah Tech (12-3/0-0 WAC) saw its seven-game winning streak end with a 10-5 loss in 10 innings. The Trailblazers held a ninth-inning lead before Austin Peay tied the game and then scored five runs in the 10th inning to secure the win.
During the opener, Utah Tech overcame an early deficit in the fourth inning when Kace Naone hit his second home run of the season, driving in two runs. Ryan Kroepel later gave Utah Tech a 3-2 lead after reaching base on a walk and scoring on an error. Austin Peay tied it again in the seventh with Trevor Conley’s RBI groundout.
Utah Tech regained the lead in the eighth inning as Kroepel scored on Gavin Long’s ground ball. Mays Madsen added another run with a squeeze bunt. However, Cole Johnson from Austin Peay hit a two-run home run with two outs in the ninth to tie it again. In extra innings, Austin Peay took control by scoring five runs before Utah Tech could record an out.
Despite collecting nine hits and drawing ten walks while being hit by four pitches, Utah Tech left 18 runners stranded during Game 1, including leaving the bases loaded four times. Senior pitcher Tyler Ray started for Utah Tech, striking out three and allowing three runs over seven innings.
In Game 2, Petey Soto Jr. gave Utah Tech an early advantage with a two-out triple that drove in two runs—the team’s first triple of the season—and he scored himself following an errant relay throw. Senior pitcher Dakoda West struck out eight batters over six-plus innings but allowed three runs in the sixth as Austin Peay took a 4-3 lead.
The Trailblazers tied it up when Kyle McDaniel drove in Soto Jr., who had doubled earlier in the sixth inning. However, Austin Peay responded with two more runs off West in the seventh and added another insurance run in the ninth to finish off a 7-4 victory and sweep Friday’s games.
Both McDaniel and Soto Jr. recorded two hits each for Utah Tech as they outhit Austin Peay nine to seven in Game 2.
Utah Tech will try to split the series during Saturday’s finale scheduled for 2:05 p.m.
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