San Diego, California – The Southern Utah Softball team opened the tournament on Friday morning with a huge 5-3 win over Colorado State. The Thunderbirds followed that up with a hard-fought 7-2 loss to Long Island University.
The Thunderbirds were led at the plate by Sophia Masut and Arianna Ramirez, who each posted three hits over the two games. Masut grabbed two RBIs on the day, while Ramirez had one. In the circle, sophomore Delaney Baker picked up her first win as a Thunderbird with a 6.1-inning effort. Baker held the Rams to three runs on five hits, striking out one. Senior Shelby Basso closed out the game one for the Thunderbirds, earning the save.
Coach Don Don Williams Said
"This was a quality team win against Colorado State. We are seeing a lot of positives in our line-up."
"LIU is a good hitting team. We need to find the consistency in our run production. We will have an opportunity tomorrow to make those adjustments."
Recap Game 1
The thrilling rematch between Colorado State and Southern Utah kicked off with an exciting exchange as Colorado State's Serna reached base due to a fielding error, allowing Matsubara to cross the plate and giving the Rams the early lead. However, Southern Utah quickly responded in the bottom of the first inning when Ariyana Miranda hit a sacrifice fly, driving in Karmyna Becerra to tie the game at one. The Thunderbirds didn't stop there, capitalizing on an error to push two more unearned runs across the plate courtesy of a timely single by Sophia Masut, giving SUU a 3-1 advantage.
As the game progressed, Colorado State fought back. In the fourth inning, Edwards delivered a clutch hit, driving in Allen and Gates to level the score at 3-3. The tension mounted as both teams battled fiercely, each seeking an edge. In the sixth inning, Southern Utah capitalized on another defensive lapse by Colorado State, with Ariyana Miranda reaching base on a throwing error, allowing Miranda Lopez to score and reclaim the lead. Arianna Ramirez extended the Thunderbirds' advantage with a well-placed single, bringing in Emily Gonzalez to secure a 5-3 lead. Despite a valiant effort from Colorado State, Southern Utah's late surge proved decisive, clinching a hard-fought victory in a tough-fought game.
Recap Game 2
LIU came out on top in the first of two matchups between Long Island University (LIU) and Southern Utah this weekend. The LIU offense wasted no time, with Castro's single to center field driving in Andrews for the opening run. Medina's patient at-bat resulted in a walk, bringing home Padilla and extending LIU's lead. Narvaiz followed suit with another walk, allowing Castro to cross the plate and putting LIU up 3-0 in the first inning.
Southern Utah, however, refused to back down. In the second inning, Arianna Ramirez used a powerful swing to send the ball sailing over the left-center fence, bringing Southern Utah within two runs. LIU responded in the fourth inning as Andrews' double and Niece's sacrifice fly extended their lead to 5-1. Medina continued to contribute with a crucial RBI single in the fifth inning, further widening the gap. Despite Southern Utah's efforts, including a massive RBI double by Capri Franzen in the sixth inning, LIU's early offensive barrage proved enough.
Next Up
The Thunderbirds will continue the Torero Classic with another game against LIU on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. MT before taking on the host team in a 5:30 p.m. MT matchup.
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