CEDAR CITY, Utah - Capri Franzen hit the first three homers of her collegiate career; but, the Southern Utah University softball team was defeated in both contests of a doubleheader to the Montana Grizzlies.

The T-Birds struggled in the first game, as they fell by a score of 23-7; but, they regrouped for the second contest and battled until the very end. Unfortunately, they came up short in extra innings to lose by a final of 14-11.

Game One

In the first contest, freshman pitcher Keimon Winston received the nod to start on the mound for SUU, but she struggled early to find the strike zone.

Montana scored eight runs in their first at-bat on four hits, six walks, and one error by the Thunderbirds.

Allie Brock started in the circle for the Grizzlies, and Gianna Carosone smashed the first pitch that Brock threw to right field to give the T-Birds a leadoff base runner in the bottom of the first. After Jayne Sepulveda reached first base on a fielder's choice, Reilly Williams crushed a ball to the left-field fence, scoring Sepulveda and cutting the Montana lead to 8-1.

The Grizzlies had another strong outing on offense in their second at-bat, scoring four more runs on two hits and four walks, pushing the lead up to 12-1.

Franzen led off for the T-Birds in the bottom of the second and laced a ball over the right-field wall for the first home run of her career.

Makenna Calderon followed Franzen by knocking a single out to left field, and Amyah Boostedt earned a walk in the next at-bat to put two runners on for SUU. A passed ball allowed both runners to advance, and Sophia Masut hit a ground ball to the shortstop to score Calderon on the next pitch. Back-to-back fly balls to right field ended the inning, taking the T-Birds into the third frame trailing 12-3.

After Montana tacked on another run in the top of the third, Williams started the Thunderbirds third at-bat with another double to the left-field wall. Three batters later, Calderon punched a triple to right field, bringing Williams home and shrinking the deficit back to nine runs.

In the fourth, Montana had another huge inning, scoring 10 runs in the frame, escalating their lead to 23-3.

The T-Bird offense went quiet until their final at-bat, where Dream Weaver started off the half-inning with a double to center field. Franzen collected her second hit of the game immediately after by poking a single out to center field. Two batters later, Boostedt destroyed a pitch over the right center field wall to tally the first homer of her young career. Two flyouts in the next two at-bats ended the contest, and the teams prepared to head to game two.

Game Two

Payton Goodrich started on the mound for Southern Utah in Game Two and held Montana scoreless in the top of the first.

After SUU started off the bottom of the first with a groundout and a flyout, Makall Whetten drew a walk to give the Thunderbirds their first base runner of the game. Franzen stepped into the batter's box next and raked a fastball over the wall in right-center for her second home run in as many games. Southern Utah took a 2-0 lead heading into the second frame.

After a scoreless second inning from both teams, the Grizzlies scored their first run of the game in the third, cutting the SUU lead to 2-1.

Southern Utah had multiple opportunities to score over their next three at-bats, including loading the bases in the bottom of the third; but, the Grizzlies found their way out of multiple jams, and the score remained 2-1 through five innings of play.

Montana revitalized its offense in the sixth and pushed two runs across, taking their first lead of the game.

Down 3-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth after being held scoreless over their past three at-bats, the T-Birds were in desperate need of offensive production. Weaver got things going early by lacing the first pitch of the inning through the left side of the field for a single. Makenna Calderon followed by driving a single of her own up the middle, advancing Weaver to third. 

Riley Shue then reached first base on an error by the shortstop, giving SUU three consecutive base runners to start the inning. Weaver managed to cross home plate and tie up the contest on a passed ball in the next at-bat. 

After Montana recorded the first out of the inning, Sophia Masut smashed a single to center field, advancing Shue to third and bringing Calderon home as Southern Utah regained the lead.

Sepulveda earned a walk in the next at-bat to load the bases for Reilly Williams. Williams earned another walk to bring Shue home, and keep the bases loaded with Franzen stepping up to bat.

Franzen dug in and annihilated a pitch deep to left field. There was no doubt in the stadium as the ball carried way over the left-field wall, and Franzen collected her third homer in what was a career day, while simultaneously notching SUU's first grand slam of the season.

Unfortunately, Montana tallied six hits and scored eight runs in the top of the seventh to retake the lead, and SUU trailed 11-9 heading into the bottom of the final frame.

Calderon stepped up to the plate first for SUU and was hit by a pitch for the conference-leading eighth time this year. Two batters later, Boostedt drilled a single to right field, advancing Calderon to second.

A line out in the next at-bat brought the Thunderbirds down to their final out. Still in need of two runs to tie the game, freshman Jayne Sepulveda stepped up to bat in a do-or-die situation.

Sepulveda came through with the most clutch hit of her young career, smashing a double to right-center field and bringing home both runners to tie the game and send it to extra innings.

Montana's bats stayed hot in the top of the eighth, as they plated three runs, raising the score to 14-11. 

The T-Birds failed to get anything going in the bottom of the eighth, as they dropped a heartbreaker to the Grizzlies and fell to 0-2 on the day.

Southern Utah will be back in action tomorrow, closing out the series against Montana with one game scheduled to begin at 12 PM MT.

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