POCATELLO, Idaho. - The Southern Utah softball squad closed out a dominant first weekend of Big Sky Conference play with a sweep against Idaho State today in Pocatello.  The Thunderbirds notched a 6-4 triumph against ISU after putting up back-to-back shutout run-rule wins yesterday.

The win moved SUU to 3-0 in league play to tie Sacramento State and Weber State amongst conference standing leaders. The three-game sweep is the first for SUU within the conference since downing North Dakota May 6-7 at home in 2016. Additionally, it's the first road conference sweep for the T-Birds since a three-game outing against Weber State in Ogden, Utah April 19-20 in 2013. 

Brooke Brown put together a fine day at the plate going 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI. 

"It is extremely tough to get a sweep in the Big Sky Conference," head coach Don Don Williams said. "I am proud of the girls. They played one pitch at a time and bounced back when we needed them to. I am proud of their performance overall this weekend. These are great team wins for us."

After two innings of scoreless play, the T-Birds broke into the run column first when Makall Whetten went yard yet again with a two-out rocket to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the third.  That was Whetten's ninth dinger of the season so far, moving her behind only Josey White's 10 thus far this year.

Brown continued her recent offensive streak with another home run, this time in the top of the fourth to extend SUU's advantage to 2-0.

Idaho State countered in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game at 2-2, before the T-Birds broke free in the top of the sixth with four runs to take a 6-2 lead. Brown blasted her second home run of the game, this time accounting for 3 RBI as she plated White and Dayna Hokanson in the process.  Gianna Carosone chalked up the final run of the game for the Thunderbirds with a double to left center that brought home Mackenzie Whitten.

SUU held onto the victory despite ISU shaving the gap to 6-4 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth. . 

Tyler Denhart earned the win in the circle, her sixth of the campaign thus far.  She held ISU to just one hit while giving up two runs.  She punched out four Bengals as well as induced three flyouts and eight groundouts.

Grace Owen closed out the contest with two innings pitched, a strikeout a flyout and two groundouts. 

Next up, SUU takes on intrastate rival Utah in St. George, Utah on April 7 at 5:30 p.m. MST. 

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