Utah Tech Trailblazers women’s softball team clinched a berth in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Tournament with a 9-8 victory against Abilene Christian on May 2 during Senior Day at Karl Brooks Field.
The win means Utah Tech, now holding an 18-32 overall record and a 5-13 mark in conference play, will enter next week’s WAC Tournament as the No. 6 seed. The team is scheduled to face No. 3 seed UT Arlington in the opening round on Wednesday night in Stephenville, Texas.
The Trailblazers collected fourteen hits throughout the game, with six different players recording extra-base hits. Senior Sadie Phillips contributed her second consecutive three-hit game and scored two runs. Kinley Pappas, Summer Sanderson, Kennedy Embrey, and Baylee Howley each had two hits apiece. Freshman Naya Taylor hit her first career home run during a pinch-hit appearance in the fourth inning, while Pappas and Embrey added triples.
Senior pitcher Sauren Garton started for Utah Tech with four innings before Lexie Wilson entered the circle. Freshman Delaney Wright closed out the final 2.2 innings, allowing only two hits to secure her fourth win of the season.
The Wildcats took an early lead by scoring one run each in the first three innings before Utah Tech responded with two runs in their half of the third inning. The Trailblazers moved ahead after Taylor’s two-run homer but saw Abilene Christian regain control with four runs in the fifth inning. Utah Tech narrowed the gap through back-to-back RBI singles from Embrey and Howley before tying and taking a late lead following key hits from Pappas and Lakaiya-Braessia Kahahawai-Kekona in the sixth inning.
Wright retired all three batters she faced in the seventh inning to seal Utah Tech’s victory and send them into postseason play for just their third time as part of program history.
Looking ahead, Utah Tech will meet UT Arlington (24-21 overall; 12-6 WAC) on Wednesday at 5 p.m., continuing their pursuit of further success at this year’s WAC Tournament.
