SUU Softball Continuing Season at New Mexico State

Softball 3/19/2011 1:15:00 AM SUU Strategic Communication

Southern Utah Walks Off to a Pair of Victories over Western Illinois

CEDAR CITY, Utah - March 18 - Southern Utah used a three-run, walk-off home run in game one and an RBI walk-off double in game two to post victories of 8-6 and 10-9, respectively, over Western Illinois on Friday afternoon. The wins move the T-Birds to 9-15 on the year and 4-1 in Summit League play. WIU dropped to 6-12 overall and 3-2 in the conference with the losses.

"I really don't know what happened today," head coach Kyle Magnusson said after the game. "Typically it has been our pitching and defense that has helped us, but our bats really came through for us today."

Southern Utah opened game one in a hole as a costly error in the top of the third prolonged Western Illinois' time at bat and the Leathernecks capitalized with three runs. Another RBI single by WIU in the top of the fifth extended the lead, 4-0, before SUU finally found its swing in the home half of the frame.

Heather Richardson began the rally with a one-out double and was followed by a walk drawn by Nicole Huntsman. Cora Cordova's double in the next at bat scored Richardson and put runners on second and third for Jenavieve Purcell. The senior delivered with an RBI single during the next at bat, but was thrown out stealing second for the second out of the frame.

Cordova then came in to score on a Western Illinois error, which was repeated on the very next at bat for Haylee Hoch to put runners on first and second. Darleen Fernandez punctuated the inning with an RBI single up the middle, tying the game at 4-4.

Western Illinois broke the tie with a home run and RBI double in the top of the seventh, but Southern Utah responded and stayed in the game with back-to-back singles to begin the home half of the seventh. A walk drawn by Hoch loaded the bases with no outs and an RBI ground ball off the bat of Fernandez scored the first run of the inning for the T-Birds. However, it was the three-run big fly by Madison Resley during the next at bat that broke the tie and gave Southern Utah the 8-6 victory.

In game two, it was SUU that jumped out to an early lead with a pair of runs in the first inning. Daniels and Hoch put runners on the bags for Southern Utah with a double and single, respectively and both came around to score on an RBI single by Fernandez and RBI fielder's choice by Resley.

The game then became a home run derby as the two teams combined to hit six home runs down the stretch. Western Illinois made the most of one of its four home runs of the afternoon in the top of the third inning to take a 4-2 lead before an RBI double by Resley in the bottom of the inning cut the margin to 4-3.

The teams traded home runs in the fourth, but a second three-run home run by Western Illinois' Megan Kelly in the top of the fifth continued the Leathernecks' lead 8-4. A two-run home run by Southern Utah's Aly Daniels in the bottom of the sixth inning trimmed the margin to 8-6, but a final home run by WIU in the seventh stretched the game to three runs, 9-6.

With all of the home runs that had left the yard in the day, it was ironic that it wasn't another home run for Southern Utah that won the game for the T-Birds in the bottom of the seventh. Resley and Richardson led off the frame with a pair of walks and the duo was followed by a three singles by Huntsman, Olinger and Cordova, tying the game at 9-9. Purcell then came to the plate with runners on first and second and laced a double down the right field line to tally the second walk-off victory for the T-Birds on the day.

Heather Black earned both of the victories in the circle on the afternoon, starting in game one and coming on in relief in game two.

The two teams will play out the series finale tomorrow afternoon with the first pitch scheduled for Noon at Kathryn Berg Field.

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