Softball 4/30/2011 1:05:00 AM SUU Strategic Communication

Southern Utah Splits Doubleheader with North Dakota State

CEDAR CITY, Utah - April 29 - Southern Utah showed both faces of the hitting coin on Friday afternoon as the Thunderbirds recorded three hits and lost in game one, 7-1 and then came back to record 12 hits in game two to post a 7-6 victory over North Dakota State. The split keeps the T-Birds within striking range of moving ahead of the Bison in the Summit League standings as SUU sits a single game behind with a 13-7 mark in league play and a 23-28 overall record on the year.

"We played a lot better in that second game," head coach Kyle Magnusson said at the conclusion of the two-game set. "Our first three were especially good as they had eight of our 12 hits. That is what is suppose to happen at the top of your line-up."

Hits were lacking in game one as the Bison put the first run on the board in the top of the third inning. Southern Utah looked like they would answer with a runner on third and no outs in the bottom of the frame. But, a pair of strikeouts and a fly ball ended the threat and kept the T-Birds without a run until the bottom of the fourth inning.

In that frame, a pair of walks and a wild pitch put runners on second and third with only one out for the Thunderbirds. A passed ball scored a run as Darleen Fernandez crossed the plate, but another strikeout and ground ball ended the scoring chance.

North Dakota State used a big, four-hit, four-run fifth inning to take a 5-1 lead and added two more runs in the top of the sixth to put the game at the eventual final score of 7-1. Southern Utah was unable to answer with any runs over the final three innings, despite having runners in scoring position in each frame.

In game two, NDSU again jumped out to an early lead, 4-1, with runs in the first, second and third innings to Southern Utah's one in the bottom of the second. Heather Richardson led off the second for the T-Birds with a double and swapped places two batters later as Kadi Henderson hit an RBI double to left.

SUU continued its run support and eventually took the lead with runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Madison Resley tallied Southern Utah's run in the fourth with a solo home run and Haylee Hoch knocked in the runs in the fifth with a two-run single, marking the third consecutive base knock in that frame.

The Thunderbirds made the most of two NDSU errors and some pitching miscues to score two runs in the sixth and extend the lead to 6-4. A Bison wild pitch led to the first run with an errant throw to home plate from second base scoring the second run. The 6-4 lead looked like it would hold as Southern Utah had North Dakota State on the ropes with two outs in the top of the seventh, but a pinch hit, two-run home run tied the game at 6-6.

However, the Thunderbirds came back in the seventh and with two outs of their own scored the winning run on a towering fly ball that dropped into right field. Nichole Huntsman was awarded a double on the play as Kadi Henderson raced from first base and beat the throw from right as her arm touched the plate on a timely slide.

"I knew it was going to be close," Henderson said after the game, "but I just ran as hard as I could and felt like I would be able to beat the throw."

The two teams will meet for the series finale tomorrow with the first pitch scheduled for Noon at Kathryn Berg Field. The game will be held in conjunction with senior day festivities as eight seniors (Kara Bendt, Aly Daniels, Stephanie DeJesus, Darleen Fernandez, Brittany Henderson, Bubba Kearns, Jenavieve Purcell, Danielle Swopes) will be honored prior to the game.

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