ST. GEORGE, Utah — The Thunderbirds opened Western Athletic Conference play Friday afternoon with a thrilling 2-1 victory against Tarleton State. Despite playing the home opener on the road in St. George, the Thunderbirds relied on solid pitching and defense to earn the extra-inning victory.
The game ended in a walk off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning off the bat of Junior Arianna Ramirez. Ramirez was 2-3 in the game. Senior Amyah Boostedt also collected two hits on the day to lead the team at the plate.
Keimon Winston started the game for the Thunderbirds going four strong innings and giving up one run on three hits in the no decision. Sophomore Emily Gonzalez picked up the win, pitching five innings and not allowing any runs on six hits.
Coach Don Don Williams Said
"This was a clutch win by our team. Our pitchers gave us a solid performance, and the defense locked down and got us out of innings. Ari Ramirez once again comes through in a pressure situation with the walk-off home run."
Game One Summary
Southern Utah secured a thrilling walk-off victory over Tarleton State with a dramatic solo home run by Arianna Ramirez in the bottom of the ninth inning.
The game was a defensive battle, with Tarleton taking an early 1-0 lead in the third on a solo shot by Trull.
Southern Utah responded in the fourth, tying the game at 1-1 after a bases-loaded walk.
Both teams had scoring opportunities but were held in check by strong pitching and defensive plays. In the final frame, Ramirez delivered the decisive blow, sending the ball over the left field wall to give Southern Utah a 2-1 win.
On Deck
Saturday will feature a doubleheader at 1:00 p.m. MT, tentatively scheduled to be played in Cedar City. Live stats will be available for both games but streaming on ESPN+ will only be available for the games played in Cedar City.
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