LONG BEACH, California — The Thunderbirds dropped the final two games of the Long Beach Wilson Tournament, falling to Iowa State in a close 3-2 battle. In the afternoon game, Southern Utah would fall behind early and eventually fall 8-1 to Kansas. The Thunderbirds finished the weekend with an overall record of 2-7.
Offensively, the T-Birds had plenty of hits, but the timing was just not right. Five different Thunderbirds picked up multiple hits on the day, led by Arianna Ramirez, Ariyana Miranda, and Kassidy Munoz, who each notched three hits over the two games.
Junior Delaney Baker pitched four innings, giving up just one run and striking out three batters against Iowa State. Riley Nielson was tabbed with the loss in game one, pitching two innings and allowing two unearned runs. Freshman Emily Delgado pitched well in relief, allowing only two hits over 3.1 innings.
Coach Don Don Williams Said
"We got better this weekend. The defense was stellar, and our pitching staff was competitive. Timely hitting is the missing part of the equation for us."
Game One Summary vs. Iowa State
Southern Utah started strong against Iowa State, taking an early lead in the first inning when Ariyana Miranda's RBI double brought Arianna Ramirez home.
Iowa State answered in the third inning to tie the game up at 1-1.
The Thunderbirds continued to pressure the Cyclones, collecting hits in the second and fourth innings, with freshman Michaella Salvatierra adding another RBI in the fourth to make it 2-1.
The game turned in the bottom of the fifth when Southern Utah's defensive errors allowed two unearned runs, giving the Cyclones a 3-2 lead.
Despite late opportunities for the T-Birds, including runners on base in the sixth and seventh innings, they could not capitalize, falling 3-2.
Game Two Summary vs. Kansas
The Jayhawks jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning, scoring four quick runs.
Southern Utah scored its first run on back-to-back-to-back singles by Munoz, De la Cruz, and Mozeris in the top of the second inning, bringing the score to 4-1.
Kansas added to its lead in the bottom of the third inning, scoring four more runs to make the score 8-1. That score would hold through to the end of the game, giving Kansas the win in the weekend's final match.
On Deck
The Thunderbirds will travel to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, next week for a tournament. Southern Utah will play Drake, Virginia Tech, and Alabama in the Easton Bama Bash, which begins on Friday, February 21, at 10:00 a.m. MT.
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