CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Thunderbirds will head North to take on Utah Valley University for a three-game series beginning with a doubleheader Friday, April 21, at 5:00 p.m. MT and continuing Saturday, April 22, at 12:00 p.m. MT. The Thunderbirds will look to grab some late-season wins against the in-state foe from Orem.
GAME INFORMATION
Southern Utah at Utah Valley
Friday, April 21, 2023 - Saturday, April 22, 2023
SUU vs. UVU: 5:00 p.m. MT Friday
SUU vs. UVU: 7:00 p.m. MT Friday
SUU vs. UVU: 12:00 p.m. MT Wednesday
Stream: ESPN+
Stats: suutbirds.com
SOUTHERN UTAH
The Thunderbirds will look to improve this week, sitting at 6-24 on the season. Southern Utah is coming off a long week that included a series with California Baptist in which the T-Birds picked up one win. The long week finished with a road series at Seattle.
Southern Utah has been led on offense by Freshman infielder Emily Gonzalez. Gonzalez has driven five doubles and five home runs in route to a .395 batting average. Gonzalez leads the team with 19 RBIs this year. Sophomore second baseman Jayne Sepulveda is also swinging the bat well with a batting average of .314. Sepulveda smacked a big-time home run in game two of the series at Seattle.
Redshirt Senior Payton Goodrich has steadily improved over the course of the season and is now leading the team with a 4.67 ERA. Goodrich collected her first win of the season against Stephen F Austin. Sophomore pitcher Keimon Winston leads the team with 26 strikeouts on the season and has built a 3-8 record on the year.
UTAH VALLEY WOLVERINES
The Wolverines are coming off a heartbreaking loss to BYU on Wednesday, where Utah Valley led much of the night, but a three-run seventh inning comeback from the Cougars allowed BYU to come away with the 6-5 victory.
Jaeden Barajas went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs in her return to the lineup on Wednesday. Barajas had been held out of the lineup after taking a foul tip off her mask in the first game against BYU on April 11. Rylee Thorpe extended her reached-base streak to 10 games with a 2-for-3 day of her own, including an RBI double and a run scored.
In last week's WAC series at California Baptist, Katie Zuniga was at her best. Zuniga allowed just two runs — one earned — in 13 innings pitched against the Lancers. Zuniga also picked up the victory in last Wednesday's walk-off win over Idaho State for a 2-1 record on the week.
LAST TIME OUT- SUU vs SEATTLE
The Southern Utah Softball team fell in the series finale against Seattle University on the road 9-1. The Redhawks came away with the win on the back of a big third inning in which they scored six runs.
The Thunderbirds scattered five hits across the lineup. The big hit of the day came from Freshman infielder Emily Gonzalez who pounded a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning. Gonzalez finished the series with three hits total. Sophomore second baseman Jayne Sepulveda added two hits and two RBIs in the series.
On the rubber, freshman Riley Nielson got the start in game three. Nielson pitched two innings and picked up one strikeout in the effort but ultimately received the loss. Redshirt senior Payton Goodrich pitched 2.1 innings in relief and struck out two batters.
FOLLOW US
Stay up to date on the Thunderbird Softball team by following @SUUSoftball on Twitter and Instagram and liking the Southern Utah softball page on Facebook.
