LAS VEGAS – The Southern Utah University softball team opened its season over the weekend, traveling to Las Vegas and taking part in the UNLV Desert Classic.
SUU played five games over three days, securing their first win of the season on Saturday.
Below are brief recaps of all five games from the weekend, where the T-birds went 1-4.
Friday vs. No. 23 Oregon
The T-birds opened the season Friday afternoon, falling 18-6 to Big Ten-member No. 23 Oregon.
After holding the Ducks scoreless in the top of the first, SUU would record their first big inning of the season, scoring four times. Laurie Cooke started the rally with a bunt hit, which Ariyana Miranda and Arianna Ramirez followed with a walk and RBI double. A wild pitch scored the next run before Amyah Boostedt tallied an RBI single to make it 3-0, and Alayah Toscano added the fourth run with an RBI double next.
The Ducks would get two runs back in the top of the second inning to cut the lead in half (4-2), but Southern Utah added a fifth run in the bottom half of the inning thanks to a run-scoring single off the bat of Miranda.
Despite the early deficit, Oregon was not about to be upset in its second game of the season. The Ducks exploded for seven runs in the top of the third, jumping in front 9-5.
SUU would get one run back in the bottom of the frame via a Boostedt solo home run, but they were unable to get any closer.
Oregon scored a run in the fourth before adding seven in the fifth, sealing an 18-6 win and putting the T-birds at 0-1 on the season.
Friday at UNLV
Southern Utah finished play on Friday evening with a matchup against Mountain West foe and regional rival UNLV, falling 9-1.
The Thunderbirds would once again score first, thanks to an RBI single from Ramirez that scored Cooke in the top of the first inning.
That would be the only scoring of the game, however, as the Rebels used a four-run second frame to snatch the lead. UNLV would add a pair of runs in both the fourth and sixth innings to pick up the victory and send the T-birds to 0-2.
Saturday vs. No. 23 Oregon
The T-birds would get a shot at revenge against Oregon on Saturday morning, but the Ducks would run out to a 6-0 lead and never look back in a 16-2 run-rule win.
SUU would score one run in both the second and fifth frames, but a 14-hit outing by the Ducks’ offense was too much to overcome.
Southern Utah would fall 16-2, dropping to 0-3 on the season.
Saturday vs. Buffalo
Facing Mid-American Conference member Buffalo on Saturday afternoon, the SUU softball team would secure a 10-7 win, its first of the young season.
The game was a back-and-forth affair, as both teams combined for 17 runs on 23 hits.
SUU scored the first run of the game in the top of the first, Kassidy Munoz tagged an RBI double to make it 1-0.
Buffalo answered with a two-run bottom of the frame to take its first lead, but the T-birds took it right back with a pair of runs in the second. Ramirez recorded an RBI single for the first run of the inning, which Munoz followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-2.
The Bulls tied things up with a run in the bottom of the second, but SUU would once again add two runs to go back in front in the fourth frame. Another RBI single off the bat of Ramirez and sac fly via Munoz made it a 5-3 ballgame.
Buffalo again retook the lead, getting one run across in the fourth and two in the fifth to make it 6-5.
Southern Utah once again had an answer, scoring four runs in the sixth to make it a 9-6 score. The Bulls would scratch a run across in the bottom of the sixth to make it a two-run game, but the T-birds slammed the door with a run in the seventh to pick up their first win of the season, 10-7.
Sunday at UNLV
SUU ended the weekend with a Sunday matinee rematch with UNLV, falling 7-6 in an extra-inning affair.
The Rebels totaled the first five runs of the game, leading 5-0 through five innings.
Southern Utah would answer in the top of the sixth, scoring four times to cut the deficit to one, 5-4. Tawnie Mozeris would plate all four of the T-birds’ runs in the inning, smashing a grand slam that also scored Toscano, Boostedt, and Munoz.
The T-birds tied the game up an inning later, with Miranda tagging an RBI double to right center.
After UNLV was held scoreless in the bottom of the seventh, the game headed to extras. SUU was able to get a run across in the top of the eighth, but the Rebels would get one in the bottom of the frame and walk it off the next inning, securing the 7-6 win.
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The weekend’s top performer
First baseman Arianna Ramirez was the top standout from the weekend, going 6-for-15 from the plate with 6 RBI and 3 walks, striking out just once.
Her strong weekend helped lead the T-birds to their first win on Friday, as Ramirez tallied 3 hits and 3 RBI in the 10-7 victory over Buffalo.
Up next
Southern Utah (1-4) heads to Southern California to participate in the Long Beach Louisville Slugger Invitational from Friday, Feb. 14 to Sunday, Feb. 16.
The T-birds will face Kansas on Friday at 5:30 p.m. MT before playing games at 10 a.m. MT and 3 p.m. MT on Saturday against Saint Mary’s and Oregon State.
SUU will wrap up the event with a pair of games on Sunday, first battling Iowa State at 10 a.m. MT before matching up with Cal at 3 p.m. MT.
Photo courtesy of SUU Athletics
