CEDAR CITY, Utah — Southern Utah wrapped up the series sweep with Abilene Christian on Saturday with a 5-3 win. The Thunderbirds improved to 19-23 on the season with a 5-7 record against the WAC.
Offensively, the T-Birds were led by Arianna Ramirez, who went 3-for-3 on the day, with two RBIs. McKenzy Becerra, Kassidy Munoz, and Michaella Salvatierra each added two hits, with Becerra adding to her incredible weekend with an RBI double. The Thunderbirds collected 10 hits in the game.
In the circle, Hannah Duncan got the start and earned a win, pitching four innings. Duncan allowed just one run on four hits and struck out three batters. Senior Delaney Baker pitched 2.1 innings in relief, surrendering one earned run on three hits. Freshman Avery Nielson picked up the save and a strikeout.
Coach Don Don Williams Said
"We came out and handled our business this weekend—three hard-fought wins. We showed real fight in that extra-inning battle yesterday and stayed locked in today to finish the sweep. The team executed one pitch at a time, played aggressively and confidently, and did exactly what we're capable of. I'm proud of the way we responded all series long. We're moving forward the right way."
Game Summary
The Thunderbirds took the early lead in the bottom of the first inning. Following a leadoff walk by Taralyn Ollison, Salvatierra laid down a sacrifice bunt to put her in scoring position. Becarra drove her in with a line drive double to right center. Ramirez added on with a triple down the right field line to score Becerra. Munoz was next with a hard single up the middle to make the score 3-0. The Wildcats ended the threat with a double play.
Abilene Christian got on the board in the third inning with an inside-the-park home run, but the T-Birds quickly bounced back to retire the side.
The Wildcats got another run on the board in the top of the fifth inning to make it a one-run game. Southern Utah immediately answered with three straight hits, including an RBI single from Ramirez, making the score 4-2.
The Thunderbirds added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning when Taralyn Ollison hit a long triple, which was followed by an infield single from Salvatierra to make the score 5-2.
The Wildcats came out swinging in the top of the seventh inning with back-to-back hits. Following a sacrifice fly, the Thunderbirds brought in Nielson to secure the 5-3 win.
On Deck
The Thunderbirds head back out on the road next weekend to continue WAC play. Southern Utah will take on UT Arlington in a three-game set beginning on April 24 with a Friday doubleheader starting at noon MT. The T-Birds will wrap up the series against the Mavericks on Saturday, April 25, at 11:00 a.m. MT. Live stats for the game will be available on the schedule link at suutbirds.com, and the game 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.
