Utah Tech defeated California Baptist University 10-1 on April 26, evening their Western Athletic Conference weekend series at Totman Stadium.
The game was highlighted by Utah Tech’s offensive performance, collecting 14 hits and scoring ten unanswered runs after falling behind early. Senior pitcher Dakoda West delivered six strong innings, allowing only one run before the Trailblazers’ offense took control. Petey Soto Jr. tied the game with a home run in the third inning, while Miller Durham gave Utah Tech the lead for good with a double later that inning.
The Trailblazers extended their advantage through timely hitting and aggressive baserunning. Kace Naone added an RBI single in the sixth, followed by three more runs in the seventh inning—including a double steal executed by Ty Johnsen and Hudson Manwaring. The team continued to build its lead with four additional runs in the eighth from RBI singles by Mays Madsen, Ryan Kroepel, and Johnsen.
West held CBU to just one run before handing off to relievers Talan Kelly and Ryan Martinez, who combined for three hitless innings to secure the win. Kelly matched his career high with four strikeouts over two innings of relief work.
Durham led Utah Tech’s offense with three hits; Johnsen contributed two hits and three RBIs. Nine different Trailblazers recorded at least one hit during the game. Soto Jr.’s home run marked his fourth of the season and extended his hitting streak to sixteen games as well as his on-base streak to thirty-six games.
The victory also marked head coach Chris Pfatenhauer’s 700th game leading Utah Tech (379 wins, 320 losses, one tie). The teams will meet again Sunday afternoon for the final game of their three-game conference set.
