PHOENIX, Ariz. - Freshman Tyler Denhart picked up an emotional victory against her sister, Ryan, during day one of the GCU Invitational in Phoenix, Ariz. The 4-2 triumph against Grand Canyon moved Southern Utah to 1-1 on the day to start the tournament.

"This was the first time we had ever played each other," Denhart said after the win against her older sister. "Playing against her was a big deal.  Everyone we know talked about how this was 'The Battle of the Denharts'. Our team pulled through and we communicated really well.  We played hard for each other.  GCU also did a great job, but someone has to win at the end of the day."

Brooke Brown, Madison Sanders and Dayna Hokanson had the big bats for the T-Birds during the nightcap as each drove home a run.  Brown went 1-for-2 with 2 RBI off a go-ahead double, while Sanders went 2-for-2, including a monster home run, to close out the show.  Hokanson kicked off scoring with her 2-for-3 effort that included an RBI. Makall Whetten also collected a hit against GCU as she went 1-for-3. 

Tyler Denhart snared her second victory of the season as she went six innings, giving up just two runs off seven hits.  She struck out a trio of Antelopes while also inducing five flyouts and eight groundouts as she out-dueled her senior sister. 

With the hosts up 2-0 heading into the bottom of the third, the Thunderbird bats warmed up.  

Hokanson nearly drilled a three-run dinger over the left field wall on her first pitch, but settled for a double that drove home Sanders to cut the gap to 2-1.  Brown stepped to the plate and laced a 3-1 pitch to left center to plate Hokanson and Whetten for a 3-2 lead for SUU.

Southern Utah threatened to score in the bottom of the fourth with Sanders taking a base after being hit by pitch, then Kalena Shepherd coaxing a walk from Ryan Denhart.  Whetten loaded the bases with a single up the middle before a pop foul ended the stanza for SUU. 

Whetten erased an early threat by GCU in the top of the fifth when she gunned down Gianna Nicoletti at third when the Antelope tried to stretch a double to left center into a triple. Tyler Denhart closed out the frame with a strikeout and a pop fly to right. 

Sanders added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when she rocketed a solo shot well over the left field fence to take a 4-2 lead for the T-Birds. 

Grace Owen came in for the save during the top of the seventh with a strikeout, flyout and ground out in order to secure the SUU victory. 

The Thunderbirds opened the day with a tough 10-0 loss to New Mexico State.

The T-Birds threatened to score twice. The first occurring in the second inning with back-to-back singles from Shepherd and Makenzie Ball.  The second came by way of a White leadoff double in the fourth frame. SUU, however, could not plate either of the runs.

White, Shepherd and Ball each finished 1-for-2 during the match-up with Payton Goodrich collecting a trio of strikeouts before Owen punched out a pair of Aggies in relief. 

"[Against Grand Canyon] we played the best defense we have played all year," head coach Don Don Williams said at the end of the evening. "Gianna Carosone played lights out for us at shortstop. The team showed a lot of grit and resilience after the tough first game of the day.  We played probably our best game of the season tonight against a quality opponent in GCU. It showed us what our potential really is, now we just have to find a way to bring that performance on a consistent basis."

The Thunderbirds are right back at it tomorrow with the second day of the GCU Invitational in Phoenix.  SUU opens the day at Noon MST against New Mexico State before closing out the evening against GCU again at 5 p.m. MST.  SUU and GCU will then close the show on Sunday at Noon MST.  

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