Reno, Nev. – February 28, 2010 – Southern Utah softball dropped both games on the first day of the Wolfpack Classic hosted by the University of Nevada.  The Thunderbirds fell to St. Mary's 7-2 in the morning match-up, and to host Nevada 11-2 in the afternoon.

The tournament originally slated to begin on Friday with a three-day, seven-game format was delayed and shorted to a two-day, six-game schedule because of weather.

Game One:

The Gaels struck first with a single run in the top of the first.  After holding St. Mary's scoreless in the second inning, the Thunderbirds tied things up in the bottom half of the frame when Whitney Griffith walked, and came in on Makinna Meeks' double.

But St. Mary's responded with three runs in the third, on a single and two home runs, making it 4-1 Gaels. 

Each team added a run in the fourth.  Ariel Morbeck singled in Darleen Fernandez for the Thunderbird score. 

St. Mary's tacked on two more in the fifth for added insurance, and that is the way it ended—7-2, Gaels.

Britany Linton (3-2) picked up the win.  Bubba Kearns (1-2) suffered the loss.

Game Two:

Pitching miscues plagued the Thunderbirds from the start, giving up four runs in the bottom of the first on just one single, three walks, and several wild pitches.

The Thunderbirds plated a run in the top of the second on Jenavieve Purcell's RBI single, but the woes continued in the bottom half as SUU surrendered five more runs on just one hit, making it 9-1, Wolves.

Nevada added two more in the third on a Britton Murdock two-run homer.

The Thunderbirds plated one in top half of the fourth on Purcell's RBI double, while holding the Pack scoreless in the bottom half of the frame.

But SUU was unable to forestall the 11-2, five-inning decision—coming up empty in the top half of the fifth.

Mallary Darby (3-3) notched the win; Kara Bendt (0-2) took the loss.

The Thunderbirds look to even the score on Monday, when they again face St. Mary's at 10:00 a.m., and Nevada at noon.