TUCSON, Ariz. - The Southern Utah softball team competed at the Hillenbrand Invitational over the weekend where they picked up a win over the University of New Mexico on Sunday afternoon.

Josey White hit .500 on the weekend with eight hits in 16 plate at-bats. She hit one home run, two doubles, and had three RBI. Dayna Hokanson had a good weekend at the plate as well, hitting .333 with six hits in 18 at-bats. She also scored four runs.

Payton Goodrich pitched 9.1 innings in the circle for the T-Birds, striking out nine batters and earning the win against New Mexico. Against the Lobos, she threw six innings of no-hit ball, gave up one run and struck out eight.

In the win over the Lobos, the Thunderbirds held a 1-0 lead for most of the game after Hokanson scored on an error by New Mexico in the top of the first inning.

As Goodrich continued to send Lobos back to the dugout, the Thunderbirds would score two more runs in the fifth inning on a Mikelle Magalogo RBI triple. They made it 4-0 in the sixth inning as Danielle Vasquez brought Hokanson home with a sacrifice fly.

With three outs to go, Goodrich gave up her first hit of the game in the seventh inning, followed by a run from New Mexico. Freshman Tyler Denhart was brought in after Goodrich faced three batters and sat down the first three batters she faced to close out the win and earn her first career save.

The Thunderbirds lost the other five games they played over the weekend, including one to the Lobos, two to Seattle University, and two to No. 4 Arizona.

Southern Utah will be back on the field next weekend for a two-day, three-game series with Utah Valley in St. George.

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