OGDEN, Utah - The Southern Utah University softball team came up empty-handed in their trip north to Ogden, falling in all three games of the series against Weber State.

The Thunderbirds (3-29, 0-9) struggled offensively all weekend against an extremely talented and experienced Weber State pitching rotation. The Wildcats (28-8, 6-0) remain undefeated in conference play and now have 28 wins overall on the season.

Game One:

Makall Whetten picked up Southern Utah's first hit of the game by crushing a two-out double to left field in the top of the first inning. A groundout in the next at-bat ended the half-inning, and the Thunderbirds got their first look at the Weber State lineup.

The Wildcats started out strong, scoring two runs in their first at-bat off of three hits and taking their first lead of the game.

After a scoreless second at-bat for SUU, Weber State had a six-hit inning, including three doubles, as they increased their lead to 7-0 heading into the third frame.

Sophia Masut started things off with a single to center field, giving the T-Birds a leadoff base runner in the top of the third. Unfortunately, Southern Utah was unable to capitalize on the opportunity, and the score remained 7-0 entering the bottom of the third.

Weber State tacked on three more runs in their third at-bat, taking a commanding 10-0 lead.

The Thunderbirds failed to get a hit for the remainder of the contest, and Weber State won by a final score of 11-0.

Game Two

Payton Goodrich received the nod to start in the circle for Southern Utah in game two and held Weber State without a hit in their first two at-bats.

The Wildcats finally busted through in the bottom of the third, scoring three runs on three hits to break the 0-0 tie.

Goodrich continued her strong pitching; still, Weber State was able to add two more runs in the bottom of the fifth, taking a 5-0 lead.

The Thunderbirds struggled heavily against Weber State ace Mariah Ramirez, as Jayne Sepulveda collected the only hit of the game for Southern Utah. Weber State went on to win the contest, 6-0.

Game Three

The Thunderbirds' offensive struggles continued in game three against Weber State pitcher Mandy Sink. 

Sink retired the first six SUU batters that she faced, and the T-Birds trailed 4-0 entering the third frame.

Makenna Calderon laced a double to left field to start the top of the third for SUU and managed to steal third base with two outs in the half-inning. Unfortunately, a strikeout ended the at-bat for Southern Utah, and they failed to bring Calderon home.

Weber State added two runs in each of the next two innings, taking an 8-0 lead heading into the top of the fifth. 

Gianna Carosone drilled a single to right field to kick off the fifth frame, but three consecutive outs ended the at-bat, as well as the game, resulting in a Weber State win, 8-0.

Up Next

Southern Utah will return to the diamond next weekend, where they will travel to Hillsboro, Oregon to face Portland State in a three-game series. A doubleheader is scheduled for Friday, April 15, with the first game set for 2 PM MT. The two teams will close out the series on Saturday.

Follow Us

Stay up to date on the Thunderbird Softball season by following @SUUSoftball on Twitter and Instagram and liking the Southern Utah Softball page on Facebook.