CEDAR CITY, Utah – Opening the Western Athletic Conference portion of the schedule, the Southern Utah softball team hosted Tarleton State for a three-game series over the weekend.
The T-birds recorded a 2-1 win on Friday in St. George, before returning to Cedar City and taking game two on Saturday, 8-5. SUU dropped Saturday’s doubleheader finale, falling 6-5 to wrap up the opening WAC series with a 2-1 record.
Game 1 – Friday
Thanks to the weather, the first game of the series was moved south to St. George on Friday afternoon.
The first two innings were scoreless, before Tarleton State broke through with a run to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning.
SUU didn’t take long to answer, tying the score in the bottom of the fourth. After two quick outs, back-to-back base hits from Arianna Ramirez and Amyah Boostedt gave the T-birds a chance to bring home their first run of the game. Alayah Toscano walked to load the bases, and Michelle De la Cruz followed with a walk of her own to bring home pinch runner Tasha Hokanson to make it 1-1.
Neither side was able to break ahead in the next few innings, with the game heading to extras. Ramirez stepped up to the plate to lead off the bottom of the ninth for SUU, smashing a home run to left field to secure the 2-1 walk-off win.
Ramirez was the top performer on offense in the win for the T-birds, going 2-for-4 at the plate with a home run and RBI.
Pitchers Keimon Winston and Emily Delgado combined to allow just nine hits and one run in the circle for SUU.
Game 2 – Saturday
Southern Utah was able to play on their home field for the first time on Saturday, notching an 8-5 result to secure the series win.
The Texans started strong, taking a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
After not being able to answer in the following two frames, the Thunderbirds broke through with a four-run response in the third to take a 4-3 lead. Ramirez doubled to score the first two runs, which Boostedt followed with an RBI single to tie the game. De la Cruz then came off the bench to pinch hit, recording a sacrifice fly that scored Boostedt for the 4-3 advantage.
Tarleton had an immediate answer in the top of the fourth, tying the game courtesy of a solo home run.
With the score now even, Southern Utah recorded another four-run inning in the bottom of the fifth to jump back in front, 8-4. The Texans could only get one more run in the top of the sixth, and the T-birds would keep the visitors at bay the rest of the way to secure the 8-5 victory.
The SUU offense was on full display in the win, as nine different Thunderbirds recorded at least one hit. Ariyana Miranda went 3-for-3 at the plate, adding 2 RBI, a walk, and run scored.
Game 3 – Saturday (DH)
Finishing up the series, Southern Utah dropped the second game of the Saturday doubleheader 6-5.
Each team scored a run in the opening frame, but the Texans would add three in the top of the second to make it a 4-1 game.
Tarleton State added a run each in the fifth and sixth, pushing their advantage to 6-1.
The T-birds answered with a run in the sixth and three runs in the seventh, but were unable to complete the comeback while falling 6-5.
Ariyana Miranda led SUU on offense, going 3-for-4 at the plate with 2 RBI and a run scored.
Up next
Southern Utah (7-15, 2-1 WAC) travels to Texas for the first road series of the WAC schedule.
The T-birds will face off with Abilene Christian, with the three-game series beginning on Friday, March 14 at 1 p.m. MT.
Game two on Friday will start at 3:30 p.m. MT, before the series finale takes place on Saturday, March 15 at 10 a.m. MT.
All three games of the weekend can be seen on ESPN+.
Photo courtesy of SUU Athletics.
