The Southern Utah Thunderbirds softball team secured two victories over the Abilene Christian Wildcats on April 17, winning both games of a doubleheader in Cedar City. The Thunderbirds opened with an 11-3 run-rule win and followed up with a close 7-6 extra-inning victory.
These wins improve Southern Utah’s record to 4-7 in Western Athletic Conference play and bring their overall season record to 18-23. The results mark important progress for the team as they continue conference competition.
Freshman McKenzy Becerra led the offense with seven runs batted in, going five-for-six at the plate, including a double and two home runs—one of which was a grand slam. Freshman Savannah Lira contributed three hits and five RBIs, hitting her second grand slam of the season. Junior Arianna Ramirez collected three hits while senior Alayah Toscano added two RBIs across both games.
In game one, senior pitcher Delaney Baker earned the complete game win by allowing three runs on seven hits over five innings and striking out two batters. In game two, freshman Avery Nielson pitched two scoreless innings in relief for the win, while sophomore Hannah Duncan led all pitchers with five strikeouts on the day.
Game summaries highlight key moments such as Becerra’s early home run in game one and Lira’s grand slam that extended Southern Utah’s lead. In game two, Toscano drove in two runs to give her team a mid-game advantage before late rallies from both teams forced extra innings. Becerra delivered again with a walk-off hit to secure the sweep.
The series concludes Saturday, April 18 at noon Mountain Time. Fans can follow live stats or watch via ESPN+ through links provided on suutbirds.com.
