CEDAR CITY, Utah — The Thunderbirds came from behind in a thrilling 14-11 victory over Utah Tech Saturday afternoon. Southern Utah improves its record to 6-9 in Western Athletic Conference play while moving to 11-23 overall.
Six Thunderbirds tallied two multiple-hit games at the plate to give the team its highest run total of the year. Senior Amyah Boostedt was outstanding, going 2-3 at the plate with four key RBIs. Sophomore Taralynn Ollison came up with one of the most clutch hits, floating a triple to left field to score three runs. Boostedt and sophomore Kassidy Munoz each picked up home runs in the first inning of the game.
The Thunderbirds pitched three pitchers in the game, beginning with sophomore Emily Delgado. Redshirt sophomore Riley Nielson pitched 2.2 innings in the middle, and Senior Keimon Winston Battled out the other four to earn the win. Winston surrendered two runs on three hits, stranding five runners.
Coach Don Don Williams Said
Game One Summary
The game opened with Utah Tech swinging hot bats, exploding for seven runs in the top of the first inning. The Trailblazers sent 12 batters to the plate, notching seven hits — including a two-RBI double from Crider and a two-RBI single from Pappas — to take an early 7-0 lead.
But the Thunderbirds wasted no time responding. In the bottom half, Arianna Ramirez got SUU on the board with an RBI single before Kassidy Munoz crushed a two-run homer. Amyah Boostedt followed with a solo shot of her own, trimming the deficit to 7-4 and shifting the momentum.
Utah Tech added four more runs across the next three innings to extend their lead to 11-4, including a solo home run by Haith and a clutch two-RBI single from pinch-hitter Embrey.
That's when the Thunderbirds lit the spark.
SUU chipped away with a run in the fourth, but it was the fifth inning that flipped the script. After loading the bases, Boostedt came through in a big way with a bases-clearing double, closing the gap to 11-8. Moments later, Michelle De la Cruz delivered a huge two-RBI double to bring Southern Utah within one. Then, with the crowd on its feet, Michaella Salvatierra ripped a game-tying RBI triple to right-center, knotting it at 11-11.
The comeback was complete in the bottom of the sixth when Taralyn Ollison stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and delivered a clutch three-RBI triple over the head of the left fielder.
Senior pitcher Keimon Winston held strong in the final inning, stranding a runner at third and locking down the Trailblazers in the seventh to seal the dramatic win.
On Deck
The Thunderbirds will be back on the road for a series at Seattle University next weekend. The three-game set will begin with a doubleheader on Friday, April 18, at 3:00 p.m. MT. The series' final game will take place at noon on Saturday, April 19. The games will be available to stream on ESPN+, and live stat links will be available on the softball schedule page.
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