CEDAR CITY, Utah — The Thunderbirds split a home doubleheader with California Baptist on Friday. Southern Utah earned the 5-4 win in game one before falling in the back half 18-10. The T-Birds now sit at 8-19 on the year with a 3-5 record against WAC opponents.
Redshirt senior Ariyana Miranda provided a spark for the Thunderbirds offense, collecting five hits and three RBIs in the two games to lead the team. Senior Amyah Boostedt and freshman Michaella Salvatierra were equally impactful, each collecting four hits on the day. Senior Laurie Cooke and sophomore Arianna Ramirez picked up three hits a piece, and Ramirez blasted two home runs for four RBIs. Sophomore Emily Delgado collected the win in the circle during game one. Delgado pitched six innings, allowing two earned runs on ten hits and striking out three batters.
Coach Don Don Williams Said
Game One Summary
The Lancers struck first in the opening inning, capitalizing on an error to take a 1-0 lead.
The Thunderbirds quickly answered as freshman Michaella Salvatierra singled and came around to score on an RBI single by Ariyana Miranda, tying the game at 1-1.
California Baptist regained the lead in the second with an RBI single from Estrada, but Southern Utah responded once again. Senior Amyah Boostedt's single and aggressive baserunning led to the tying run, evening the score at 2-2.
The Thunderbirds broke the deadlock in the fifth, with Miranda driving in Laurie Cooke to give Southern Utah a 3-2 advantage. Moments later, Arianna Ramirez delivered the game's biggest blow, launching a two-run homer to left field, extending the lead to 5-2.
The Lancers threatened in the sixth, plating two runs on a clutch single from Penberthy to cut the deficit to 5-4. However, Freshman Maddie Moreno entered in relief in the seventh, shutting down the Lancers' final push and earning her first career save.
Game Two Summary
Southern Utah came out strong against California Baptist in game two, jumping to an early 4-0 lead in the first inning. Salvatierra, Cooke, and Ramirez strung together singles before Kassidy Munoz's two-RBI hit and Boostedt's RBI groundout helped put runs on the board. Alayah Toscano capped off the frame with an RBI single, setting the tone for what seemed like a promising offensive night.
California Baptist responded immediately in the second inning, taking advantage of timely hitting and defensive miscues. Annett and Soto got on base before Robison's two-RBI single ignited the rally. Krueger followed with an RBI single, and a pair of errors allowed CBU to plate two more runs, taking a 5-4 lead.
Southern Utah managed to tie it up in the bottom of the second when Miranda's RBI single brought home Salvatierra. The game remained close as both teams continued exchanging blows. CBU pulled ahead 8-5 in the third after back-to-back home runs from Soto and Robison, but the Thunderbirds kept fighting, cutting the deficit to 8-7 thanks to key hits from Boostedt and Salvatierra.
The back-and-forth continued as SUU tied the game in the fourth with a two-run homer from Ramirez and a solo shot from Boostedt. However, CBU took control in the fifth inning with a five-run outburst, including a two-RBI double from Penberthy and a two-run homer from Soto, pushing the Lancers ahead 15-10.
Despite their best efforts, the Thunderbirds couldn't slow down CBU's offense. Annett's two-run homer in the sixth extended the lead to 18-10, sealing the victory for the Lancers. In the later innings, SUU put up a strong fight but couldn't overcome California Baptist's explosive bats.
On Deck
The T-Birds will continue the series with a single game against California Baptist on Saturday, March 22, at noon MT. All games will be broadcast on ESPN+, and live stats are available through the links on the schedule page.
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