Utah Tech ended its participation in the UNLV Red & Black Classic with a 9-5 victory over North Dakota State at Eller Media Softball Stadium on Sunday. The team recorded nine hits, including two home runs by freshman Summer Sanderson—her first career homers.
Kinley Pappas contributed with two hits, an RBI, and a run scored for the fourth consecutive game. Gabi Giroux added a double, drew two walks, and drove in two runs.
Pitcher Sauren Garton started her tenth game of the season and threw 4.1 scoreless innings. Lexie Wilson pitched 0.2 innings in relief, while Delaney Wright earned her second win of the year by closing out the final two innings and striking out three batters.
The game remained scoreless through three innings before Sanderson hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to give Utah Tech the lead. North Dakota State responded with three runs in the sixth inning to take a brief lead.
Utah Tech answered quickly in their half of the sixth inning by sending 11 players to bat and scoring seven runs. Maka Sonognini led off with a single before Sanderson’s second home run put Utah Tech back ahead at 4-3. Sadie Phillips and Pappas followed with RBI singles, increasing the lead to 6-3. Giroux then drove home Phillips and Pappas with a double, making it 8-3. The final run of the inning came after Sonognini reached base again on an error.
North Dakota State scored twice more on sacrifice flies in the seventh inning, but Wright finished off the game for Utah Tech’s four-run win.
The Trailblazers will return home for their next games at the Trailblazer Classic where they are scheduled to face BYU once and Omaha twice.
