The Wildcats outlasted Utah 6-4 in eight innings Sunday to finish the Judi Garman Classic hosted by Cal State Fullerton, winning on a two-run homer from catcher Eva Richardson in the top of the eighth.

Cali McCraw pitched all eight innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits, striking out five and walking three. Two of those strikeouts came holding the extra-inning lead, helping slam the door on the Utes in the bottom of the eighth despite starting with a runner on second via the tiebreaker rule.

Freshman shortstop Sadie Kirk opened the scoring with a solo homer in the first inning, her third blast of the season. Kirk, Taegan Smith, Abby Grundy and Tori Rey each tallied two hits in the win.

Rey doubled in a run in the fifth and Grundy doubled home two in the sixth for a 4-3 lead. McCraw surrendered a solo shot in the sixth to Utah’s Sianni Sakai, helping send the game to extras.

The win followed three defeats at the hands of top-10 ranked teams — a 13-3 loss to No. 10 Arizona, 9-1 to No. 6 LSU, and a 26-5 humbling against No. 4 UCLA.

Off the mat with a win against Utah, the Wildcats are 6-14 and, though good competition remains, have gone through the most difficult parts of their nonconference schedule.

Next up is a four-game series at Colorado State played in a pair of doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday. The Rams are 7-12 and share a few opponents with WSU. CSU lost 5-2 to a UC San Diego team Weber defeated 5-3, and 10-0 to Arizona. The Rams also took a 7-3 home loss against Big Sky foe Northern Colorado.

Following the trip to Colorado State, it’s back to California for a five-game tournament hosted by Saint Mary’s from March 14-16. The Wildcats will face the host Gaels (8-9) twice, Ivy League foes Columbia (2-3) and Harvard (5-4), and Santa Clara (10-7).