The Southern Utah University softball team hosted Seattle University for a three-game series on Friday, April 13, and Saturday, April 14. Southern Utah lost the first game 16-4 and the third game 12-5. Their lone win came in game two, 7-5.
Following the series, Southern Utah fell to 17-21 overall and 6-11 in the Western Athletic Conference. Seattle University improved to 18-24 overall and 10-7 in conference play.
Game one
The Redhawks got things going in the top of the first inning with a three-run home run off the bat of Taylor Fitch, her sixth of the year. The Thunderbirds answered back in the bottom of the first with a two-run single from Arianna Ramirez.
Seattle blew the game open in the second inning, scoring 11 runs. Mikee Morris got the scoring started with a RBI single up the middle. Later in the inning, Morris hit another RBI single that scored Sydney Frankenberger.
After going scoreless in the bottom of the second, Southern Utah scored off a pair of hits from Kassidy Munoz and Miranda Lopez. After just five innings, Southern Utah lost 16-4. Redhawk Stefanie Madrigal earned her ninth win of the season, while Thunderbird Keimon Winston fell to 5-6.
Game two
Southern Utah’s Delaney Baker pitched the first three innings scoreless, allowing only two hits. Ariyana Miranda broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the third with an RBI single.
Seattle responded in the fourth inning. Ava Sin tied things up with a sacrifice fly, and Lily Garcia broke the tie with a RBI single. In the fifth, Morris, Fitch and Sin all brought runs across, giving the Redhawks a 5-1 lead.
Karmyna Becerra answered in the bottom of the fifth, hitting a three-run home run to cut the lead to just one. The next inning, with two runners on and one out, Miranda hit her team-high, conference-leading 10th home run to give the Thunderbirds a 7-5 lead.
In the top of the seventh, Seattle had the bases loaded with just one out. Pitcher Emily Delgado struck out Nicola Simpson, got Garcia to fly out and secured the win, her sixth of the year.
Game three
Becerra continued her hot hitting with a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning, putting her total to nine on the year. It was all Seattle after that, led by Tai Wilson and Karen Spadafora.
Wilson singled to center, capping off a three-run second inning. In the fourth, Spadafora went yard for her second home run of the season.
In the sixth inning, Wilson continued the scoring for the Redhawks with a triple down the left-field line, bringing in one of the four runs scored in the sixth and stretching the lead to 10-1.
In the bottom half of the sixth, shortstop Laurie Cooke hit an RBI single and eventually came around to score, cutting the lead to 10-4. In the seventh inning, Seattle put the game away on a two-run double off the bat of Jasmine When.
Madrigal earned the win, going five and a third innings while allowing two earned runs on seven hits. Baker suffered the loss, going only two innings and allowing three runs on two hits.
What’s next?
Southern Utah will go on the road to face Grand Canyon University on Friday, April 19, and Saturday, April 20.
Author: Jack Paul
Photographer: Anden Garfield
Editor: Anden Garfield
sports@suunews.net
