CEDAR CITY, Utah — Southern Utah fell in the opening game of the Western Athletic Conference tournament 3-2 against Utah Valley. The Thunderbirds drop into the one-loss bracket and will take on the loser from the Tarleton State vs. Utah Tech or UT Arlington game. The game will take place at 6:00 p.m. MT on Thursday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+, and live stats can be found on the schedule link on suutbirds.com.
The T-Birds were led at the plate by sophomore Michaella Salvatierra and freshman Savannah Lira, who each collected two hits on the day. Freshman Michelle De la Cruz picked up her fourth home run of the season in the game. A big difference in the game came down to runners left on base. Redshirt junior Riley Nielson pitched the first four innings of the game, holding the potent UVU offense to two runs on four hits. Sophomore Hannah Duncan was tagged with the loss, pitching two innings and giving up one run on one hit and striking out one batter.
Coach Don Don Williams Said
"We didn't capitalize when we had opportunities. You can't leave that many runners on base against a good team and expect to come out on top. I'm proud of the fight and the way we stayed in it, but now it's about turning the page quickly. In tournament play, you've got to respond, and I expect this group to come back ready to compete tomorrow."
Game Summary
Southern Utah started the scoing in the top of the third inning. After two quick outs, Isabella Knight was hit by a pitch, and Taralyn Ollison singled up the middle. Michaella Salvatierra singled on an infield bunt to load the bases before McKenzy Becerra worked a full count to earn a walk and push the first run across. The Wolverines got out of the jam on the next batter, but SUU took the early 1-0 lead.
The T-Birds loaded the bases again on three straight singles to begin the fourth inning, but the UVU defense and pitching held strong to keep the game at 1-0.
Utah Valley took advantage of a leadoff single and a bunt to put a runner in scoring position. After a walk and a productive groundout, the Wolverines had runners at second and third with two outs. Utah Valley grabbed a 2-1 advantage on a pinch-hit single through the left side before the T-Birds closed the frame.
For the third straight inning, the Thunderbirds left the bases loaded after setting the table with fewer than two outs. Southern Utah tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the sixth inning with a leadoff pinch-hit home run to dead centerfield by Michelle De la Cruz.
Utah Valley battled back in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases and scoring the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly.
Despite getting a runner on via the walk, the T-Birds were unable to even the score, falling 3-2.
On Deck
The Thunderbirds move into the elimination bracket and will face the loser of the Tarleton State vs. Utah Tech/UT Arlington matchup. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m. MT on Thursday. The game will stream on ESPN+, with live stats available via the schedule page on suutbirds.com.
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