CEDAR CITY, Utah — Southern Utah fell in the season finale 7-1 against Utah Valley on Saturday. The Thunderbirds dropped to 20-28 on the season, finishing with a 6-12 record in WAC play.
The Thunderbirds were led offensively by Michaella Salvatierra, who continued to have an outstanding series. Salvatierra was the only T-Bird to have a multi-hit game with two singles, finishing the three-game set with a .636 average, one triple, and three total RBIs. Freshman McKenzy Becerra tallied the only RBI for Southern Utah in the contest, bringing her series total to three.
Coach Don Don Williams Said
"Despite the tough result today, our team showed real heart and competitiveness throughout the weekend. I'm proud of how we battled and split the doubleheader yesterday. We're excited to turn the page and fully focus on the WAC Conference Tournament starting Wednesday. We're ready to compete and make a strong run."
Game Summary
Utah Valley managed just one hit in the first, while SUU put two runners on with singles from Salvatierra and Becerra, but a double play ended the threat. Both teams went down in order in the second to keep the game scoreless.
The Wolverines broke through in the third, capitalizing on a one-out error to spark a rally. Utah Valley strung together six hits in the inning, highlighted by a two-RBI single from Armendariz, to plate five runs and take a 5-0 lead.
Southern Utah answered in the bottom half, loading the bases after Isabella Knight was hit by a pitch and back-to-back singles from Taralyn Ollison and Salvatierra. Becerra drove in SUU's lone run on a fielder's choice to make it 5-1.
Utah Valley added two more in the fourth on RBI hits from Moreno and Rodriguez to extend the lead to 7-1. SUU threatened in the inning with a double from Savannah Lira, but couldn't bring her home.
From there, the Thunderbirds were held scoreless the rest of the way, while SUU pitching settled in with Maddie Moreno and Mia Tamkoc keeping Utah Valley off the board over the final three innings.
On Deck
The T-Birds will head to the WAC tournament next week at Tarleton State, beginning on Wednesday. The Thunderbirds will take on UVU once again to open the tournament, with the winner taking on the top seed in game two. All games will be broadcast on ESPN+, and live stats are available through the link on the schedule page at suutbirds.com.
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