CEDAR CITY, Utah — Southern Utah split its opening Western Athletic Conference doubleheader with California Baptist on Friday, dropping a 2-0 pitcher's duel in game one before responding with a 6-3 victory in game two. The Thunderbirds move to 15-17 overall and 1-1 in WAC play, while the Lancers now sit at 23-11 on the season, also holding a 1-1 mark in conference action.
Southern Utah was led offensively by Arianna Ramirez, who paced the Thunderbirds with a pair of doubles and three RBIs in game two, providing the key swings in the win. Alayah Toscano also delivered in clutch moments, driving in two runs, while Taralyn Ollison and Kassidy Munoz added hits and helped set the table at the top of the lineup.
Southern Utah's pitching staff delivered a steady performance across the doubleheader, keeping California Baptist largely in check outside of a few key swings. Hannah Duncan set the tone in game one, working through early traffic and limiting the damage to a single run over the first four innings before Riley Nielson came on in relief and was dominant, retiring all six batters she faced to keep the deficit at one late in the game.
In game two, Delaney Baker and Avery Nielson combined to hold the Lancers to three runs, navigating around walks and a handful of hits while stranding multiple runners. The duo settled in after the opening inning and avoided the big inning, with the defense backing them up in key moments. Overall, Southern Utah's pitchers consistently worked out of pressure situations and gave the offense an opportunity to respond, particularly in the second game victory.
Coach Don Don Williams Said
"It was a true team effort today. Our players battled at the plate, worked deep into counts, and played solid defense. Proud of how we competed."
Game 1 Summary
The Lancers broke through in the second inning, stringing together a pair of hits that led to the game's first run on an RBI single from Jordyn Madrigal. Despite several opportunities throughout the game, the Thunderbirds were unable to generate consistent offense, managing just two hits in the contest.
Southern Utah's best chance came in the fourth inning when Taralyn Ollison doubled down the left field line, but the threat was quickly erased with back-to-back strikeouts and a groundout. CBU added an insurance run in the seventh, using a triple and a groundout to extend the lead to 2-0.
In the circle, the Thunderbirds got a solid effort, highlighted by a clean relief appearance from Riley Nielson, who retired all six batters she faced. Defensively, Southern Utah also turned a key double play in the third to limit damage.
Game 2 Summary
After surrendering a solo home run in the top of the first, the Thunderbirds answered immediately with a three-run frame. Arianna Ramirez delivered the big swing with a two-RBI double down the left field line, while Alayah Toscano added an RBI walk to give Southern Utah a 3-1 lead.
The offense continued to produce in the third and fourth innings. Toscano came through again with an RBI single in the third to make it 4-1.
Ramirez stayed hot in the fourth with another RBI double. Savannah Lira followed with an RBI single to stretch the lead to 6-1.
CBU chipped away with two runs in the fifth, but Southern Utah's pitching staff held firm down the stretch, stranding multiple runners and shutting the door over the final two innings.
On Deck
Southern Utah will continue the series against California Baptist on Saturday, March 21, at noon MT. Live stats for the series will be available on the schedule link at suutbirds.com, and all three games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Follow Us
Stay up to date on the Thunderbird Softball team by following @SUUSoftball on Twitter and Instagram, and liking the Southern Utah softball page on Facebook.
Donate
To help support Thunderbird athletics, consider making a donation today! To learn more about how you can support, click here.
