Southern Utah University celebrated the opening of its new Kathryn Berg Field with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by two victories over Weber State. The Thunderbirds won the first game 3-2 and the second 3-1, bringing their overall record to 9-12 and remaining undefeated at their new home field.
Freshman Savannah Lira led the team offensively with four hits across both games, including two doubles. Teammates McKenzy Becerra, Taralyn Ollison, and Arianna Ramirez each contributed two hits. Becerra recorded two RBIs while Ollison added an RBI triple. Michaella Salvatierra also collected two RBIs during the doubleheader.
On the pitching side, Hannah Duncan secured the win in game one with a complete game performance, allowing only one earned run and striking out eight batters. In game two, Riley Nielson started and pitched over four innings, giving up one run on three hits. Avery Nielson came in as relief for nearly three innings, did not allow any runs or hits, and struck out one batter to earn the win.
In the first game, Weber State took an early lead in the second inning after Sammy Gallegos doubled and Jordan McMahon drove in Kiaira Smith with a single. Southern Utah tied it up in the third when Michaella Salvatierra scored on a sacrifice fly from McKenzy Becerra. Weber State regained the lead in the fourth following a triple by McMahon and a sacrifice bunt by Victoria Rey that resulted in an unearned run due to an error.
The Thunderbirds rallied in their final at-bat. After loading the bases through walks and bunt singles, Salvatierra drew an RBI walk to tie it at 2-2. Becerra then hit a sacrifice fly to center field that brought Isabella Knight home for a walk-off win.
In game two, Weber State again scored first after Victoria Rey walked and Apollonia Maldonado singled her home. Southern Utah responded in the sixth inning when Knight was hit by a pitch and later scored on Ollison’s triple to left field. A subsequent error allowed Ollison to score for a 2-1 lead, and Ramirez singled to drive in another run for insurance. The Thunderbirds retired all three batters faced in the seventh inning to secure their second victory of the day.
Looking ahead, Southern Utah will continue its preconference schedule on the road this weekend. The team will play against Utah Utes in Salt Lake City on Thursday before participating in the Idaho State Tournament held in Pocatello from March 5–7 against Idaho State Bengals and Maine. Live statistics can be accessed via suutbirds.com’s schedule link.
“Coach Don Don Williams Said”
