ST GEORGE, Utah - Capri Franzen turned in the best performance of her career thus far, pitching a complete game, while allowing just two runs on four hits and striking out a career-high 8 batters, leading the Southern Utah University Softball team to a 6-2 win over Maine for their second consecutive victory. 

The Thunderbirds tallied seven hits and failed to make an error in the field, as they finished up play at the Dixie State tournament by winning their final two games.

The Thunderbirds got their bats going early for the second consecutive day. Following two groundouts to start the bottom of the first, Makall Whetten knocked a single out to left-center for Southern Utah's first hit of the game. In the next at-bat, Riley Shue ripped a 3-2 pitch to right field for another single, putting runners on first and second for SUU. Makenna Calderon then reached on a throwing error, loading the bases for Reilly Williams. Williams worked the count and earned a six-pitch walk to bring Whetten home, giving the Thunderbirds their first lead of the game. Dream Weaver stepped up to the plate next; like Williams, she worked the count to three balls and two strikes. Weaver was then hit by a pitch for the second time this season, allowing Shue to cross the plate, giving SUU a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

Franzen was locked in from the start, retiring the first seven batters that she faced, which included three strikeouts. After Rebecca Findley was hit by a pitch to give the Black Bears their first baserunner of the game in the top of the third frame, Franzen forced a line-drive to third base that Sophia Masut snatched out of the air. She then fired a laser over to first base, subsequently catching Findley off the bag and turning a double play to end the inning.

The SUU offense found their groove again in the bottom of the third, as Whetten started off the inning with a single through the right side of the field. Two batters later, Calderon singled to left-center, putting two runners on base. Williams and Weaver then drew back-to-back full-count walks to load the bases and bring Whetten home for the second time in the game. It was Kylee Terrell's turn next, as she drove a sacrifice fly deep to right field to bring home Calderon and collect her first RBI of the season. With two outs and two runners still on base, Masut dug in and drove a single through the right side of the field, scoring Williams and extending the SUU lead to 5-0.

Maine finally broke through in the top of the fourth, collecting two of their four hits for the contest and scoring two runs to cut the SUU lead to 5-2.

After a scoreless fourth at-bat for the T-Birds, Weaver started off the bottom of the fifth by reaching base for the third time in the game. Following a strikeout, Masut crushed a 1-0 pitch to left-center, earning a double and advancing Weaver to third. Gianna Carosone hit into a fielder's choice in the next at-bat, and Weaver was able to cross home plate, giving SUU a commanding 6-2 lead.

Franzen took it in her hands from there, retiring six of the next eight batters she faced and earning her first win of the season on the mound, leading to Southern Utah's second victory of the tournament.

Notable Stats:

• Capri Franzen threw just 81 total pitches across seven innings in her dominant performance.

• Dream Weaver reached base on all three of her trips to the plate, while also picking up two RBI.

• Makall Whetten had a remarkable tournament for SUU, reaching base 12 times in 17 total trips to the plate while also scoring four runs throughout the weekend.

• Gianna Carosone collected seven hits in the five contests this weekend.

• Southern Utah made just two errors as a team throughout the five-game tournament.

Up Next

The Thunderbirds will return to St. George for a lone game against Dixie State on Wednesday, March 16 with first pitch slated for 5 PM MT. 

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