Utah Tech lost to California Baptist University 7-3 on April 24, ending its five-game winning streak in the first game of a three-game Western Athletic Conference series at Totman Stadium.
The result is significant as it impacts Utah Tech’s standing in the WAC and interrupts their recent momentum. The teams had a scoreless start until California Baptist scored two runs in the third inning. Utah Tech responded with a run in the fourth after Ty Johnsen singled home Ryan Kroepel, who had reached base earlier that inning.
In the fifth inning, Petey Soto Jr. doubled and was brought home by Kyle McDaniel’s single to center field. However, California Baptist matched those runs with single tallies of their own and added two more in the sixth inning for a 6-2 lead after six innings.
Utah Tech narrowed the gap to 6-3 in the eighth when Bryan Martinez hit his first extra-base hit as a Trailblazer—a double that also marked his second RBI for the team. Despite this effort, California Baptist added an insurance run late and held Utah Tech scoreless in the ninth to secure victory.
McDaniel and Johnsen each recorded two hits as Utah Tech finished with eight total hits for the night. Kroepel contributed three walks along with his base hit and scored two of Utah Tech’s three runs. Soto Jr.’s double extended his career-long hitting streak to fifteen games and set a new personal record with an on-base streak reaching thirty-five consecutive games.
The series continues Saturday night at Totman Stadium, where both teams will compete again starting at 6:05 p.m.
