CEDAR CITY, Utah – The Southern Utah Softball team played a doubleheader today against Abilene Christian University in Texas. The Thunderbirds lost game one 3-2 in heartbreak fashion on a walk-off sacrifice fly by the Wildcats. Despite battling to a second consecutive close game the T-Birds fell in game two 5-4.
GAME 1 RECAP
Game one of the series was a pitching duel through and through with neither team giving up much including only six hits by the teams combined. The Wildcats would strike first in the game with a double down the left-field line in the third inning.
In the bottom of the fifth inning Southern Utah replaced sophomore starting pitcher Keimon Winston with junior Shelby Basso and Abilene took advantage, picking up a second run on a sacrifice fly ball to right field. The game would remain 2-0 in favor of the Wildcats until the top of the seventh inning.
Freshman Riley Nielson came into the game to pinch hit with one out and freshman Emily Gonzalez on first base. Nielson would connect with a towering home run to even the score at 2-2. This put the pressure back on the Wildcats.
Abilene would handle the adversity well leading off their half of the seventh inning with a double. Two batters later the Wildcats would score the winning run on a fly ball to center field.
GAME 2 RECAP
Game two began much the same way as game one with two scoreless innings. In the third inning, the Thunderbirds started the scoring when senior infielder Maddison Sanders drove in junior outfielder Allie Laub with a single up the middle. Sophomore Amaya Boostedt doubled down the line to drive to make the score 3-0.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Wildcats came charging back taking the lead 4-3. Abilene strung together five straight hits, knocking starter Riley Nielson out of the game.
In the fifth inning, Southern Utah tied the game back up as Sanders came around to score on a throwing error by the third baseman. ACU would answer back with a home run in the home half of the inning to take the lead back 5-4.
The lead would hold for the Wildcats though as they would improve to 8-24 on the season. Redshirt senior Payton Goodrich would get the game-two loss. Laub had an outstanding game collecting three hits. In all the Thunderbirds would pick up four runs on eight hits in the game.
NEXT UP
The Thunderbirds will continue the three-game series with ACU Sunday at 11:30 a.m. MT. SUU will look to pick up a win in the final game of the series.
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