CEDAR CITY, Utah – Hosting Cal Baptist over the weekend, the Southern Utah softball team claimed the series with a pair of wins in three games.
Below are recaps of all three games, starting with game one of Friday’s doubleheader.
Game 1 – Friday
Facing the Lancers for the first time this season, the T-birds held off a late CBU rally to pick up a 5-4 win.
Cal Baptist started the scoring with a run in the top of the first, but SUU answered in the bottom of the frame to tie the score. Ariyana Miranda knocked a base hit up the middle, scoring Michaella Salvatierra.
The Lancers responded with a run to take a 2-1 lead in the top of the second, but the T-birds again had an answer. Thanks to a passed ball with two runners on base, Amyah Boostedt crossed home plate to even the score.
Following a pair of scoreless frames, Southern Utah took its first lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. An RBI single from Miranda and a two-run home run off the bat of Arianna Ramirez made it 5-2 for the home team.
CBU would scratch across a pair of runs in the sixth thanks to a two-run RBI single, but the T-birds were able to record the final four outs to secure the series-opening win.
Miranda led SUU in the win, going 3-for-3 at the plate with 2 RBI and a run scored.
Game 2 – Friday (DH)
Game two of Friday’s doubleheader was filled with offense, as Cal Baptist evened the series with an 18-10 victory.
Southern Utah got on the board first, using a four-run first inning to take the lead. The Lancers came right back with a five-run frame in the top of the second, jumping ahead 5-4.
SUU tied the game in the bottom of the frame, but CBU added three more runs in the third to make it an 8-5 game.
The Thunderbirds answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third, cutting the deficit to 8-7. Cal Baptist responded with two more runs in the fourth, making the score 10-7.
SUU then tallied three runs in the bottom of the frame, tying the score at 10. The offense would run out for the T-birds however, as the Lancers scored five runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth without an answer. Despite totaling 14 hits and 10 runs in game two, SUU fell 18-10.
Amyah Boostedt led the T-birds at the plate, going 3-for-4 with 2 RBI and two runs scored. Arianna Ramirez also notched two hits, 2 RBI, and two runs scored.
Game 3 – Saturday
Facing off in the rubber match on Saturday afternoon, the Thunderbirds emerged with a thrilling 6-5 walk-off win.
After 2 1/2 scoreless frames, SUU would take the lead in the bottom of the third when Arianna Ramirez laced an RBI double to center to make it 1-0.
The Lancers would then score the next five runs, taking a 5-1 lead thanks to a pair of runs in both the fifth and sixth innings and a single run in the seventh.
Facing a four-run deficit with only three outs remaining, the T-birds went to work. Three singles in a row to begin the inning made it 5-2, before a walk and a Kassidy Munoz two-run double cut the deficit to 5-4.
Back-to-balk walks scored the tying run, before Belle Freund drove a ball to right field, scoring the game-winning run.
Belle Freund calls game!!!#TBirdNation ⚡️ #RaiseTheHammer pic.twitter.com/RqAn9yXevS
— SUU Softball (@SUUSoftball) March 22, 2025
Laurie Cooke led SUU in the win, going a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate and scoring two runs. Munoz added a hit, a run, and a pair of RBI.
Taking two of three games in the series, the T-birds improve to 9-19 on the season, including 4-5 in WAC play.
Postgame with Coach Don Don Williams
Up next
Southern Utah (9-19, 4-5 WAC) travels to Phoenix for a three-game series with Grand Canyon from April 4-5.
SUU and GCU will play a doubleheader on Friday (4:30 p.m. MT, 7:00 p.m. MT) before finishing the series with a Saturday game at 12 p.m. MT.
All three games from the weekend can be seen on ESPN+.
Photo courtesy of SUU Athletics.
