Utah Tech split the first two games of a WAC road series at conference newcomer UT Arlington on Friday at Allan Saxe Field.
 
The Trailblazers (21-12/6-2 WAC) dropped a 10-inning thriller, 4-3, to open the series, before bouncing back with a 17-1 rout in five innings in the nightcap.
 
In the series opener, the Mavericks (13-18/3-5 WAC) jumped out to a quick 3-0 on the strength of back-to-back home runs from Morgan Westbrook and Megan Smith.
 
UTA hurler Jessica Smith (W, 7-8) made that early lead stand as she limited the Trailblazers to just three hits and five total base runners through the first five innings.
 
Utah Tech would finally solve Smith in the sixth, touching up the Maverick pitcher for three runs and four hits to tie the game at 3-3. The Blazers strung together three-straight one out singles ahead of Madisen Duryea, who singled in UT's first run.
 
Laura Lockard then collected an RBI on a Maverick infield error, and Rachel Campbell later chased home LB Kahahawai-Kekona on a fly out to right field to pull the Trailblazers even.
 
That would be it for the Blazer bats over the next three-plus innings as Smith retired the next 13 Utah Tech batters she faced until Shea Clements doubled to the gap in right center with one out in the 10^th. 
 
Lauren Almeida followed with a single to put runners at the corners, but Smith managed to keep the Trailblazers from scoring the go-ahead as she induced a pair of groundouts to end the threat.
 
UTA would load the bases on a one-out double and two walks, then ended the game with a Westbrook single to left field. 
 
Tanya Windle, Clements and Almeida all finished with two hits apiece as the Trailblazers collected nine safeties in the opener.
 
Utah Tech turned the tables on UTA in the nightcap as the Trailblazers used two long balls of their own in the third inning en route to a commanding 6-0 advantage.
 
The Blazers pushed across the first run when Windle tried to bunt Carly Eldredge to second after a lead-off single, but the throw to first base sailed wide of the bag, which allowed Eldredge to score the game's first run.
 
Then after a Clements walk, Almeida drove a 1-0 Gracie Bumpurs offering over the left field fence to make a 4-0 game. Sadie Gardner followed that with a two-out single ahead of Campbell, who capped the rally with a homer to left field. 
 
The Trailblazers kept the hits coming in the fourth, striking for five more runs, with Campbell providing the big blow with a two-out, three-run shot to left center to spot Utah Tech to an 11-run cushion. 
 
Utah Tech tacked on six more runs for good measure in the fifth, with Windle continuing the home run barrage with a two-run blast. Campbell picked up two more RBI with a single and Brooklyn Dowdle doubled home two more. 
 
The run support was more than enough for fifth-year senior Kate Dolinski (W, 6-4), who struck out four and limited the Mavericks to just one run and five hits in five innings of work. 
 
Campbell finished with a career-high seven RBI to go with her two homers as part of a 3-for-7 effort at the plate. The junior catcher became just the fifth player in the program's NCAA era to drive in at least seven runs in one game, and her seven RBI were the fifth-most in a single game in program history. 
 
In addition, Campbell's two-homer game was the 33^rd instance in the program's four-year era where a player hit at least two home runs in one game.
 
Utah Tech will look to pick up the series victory in Saturday's finale beginning at 11 a.m. (MT).