Southern Utah lost both games of a doubleheader against Tarleton State on April 10, falling 10-3 in the first game and 7-1 in the second. The Thunderbirds are now 2-6 in Western Athletic Conference play with an overall record of 16-22.
The outcome is significant as it affects Southern Utah’s standing within the conference and their momentum for the remainder of the season. Junior infielder Arianna Ramirez led Southern Utah at the plate, collecting three hits over both games. Freshman Alayna Ma’ake hit her third home run of the season during game one, while senior Alayah Toscano recorded her first career home run to score Southern Utah’s only run in game two.
In game one, Southern Utah took an early lead by loading the bases with singles from Taralyn Ollison, Michaella Salvatierra, and Ramirez. McKenzy Becerra contributed a sacrifice fly and Kassidy Munoz added an RBI to put the Thunderbirds ahead 2-0. However, Tarleton State responded with key hits in later innings and pulled ahead after a six-run fifth inning.
Game two saw Tarleton State start strong again with five runs on seven hits in the first inning. Toscano’s solo home run put Southern Utah on the board in the third inning before Tarleton answered back with two more runs. Despite some threats from Southern Utah’s offense later in the game, Tarleton’s defense held firm.
The series continues Saturday, April 11 at 11:00 a.m., with live stats available through suutbirds.com and broadcast coverage on WAC international.
