SANTA BARBARA, California – The Southern Utah Softball team fell in both games of the road doubleheader Friday. The first game finished in just five innings with the Gauchos coming out on top 10-2 while the second was a complete game finishing 9-2 in favor of UC Santa Barbara. 

The Thunderbirds struggled to get the offensive production to keep up in the first game managing two runs on seven hits but leaving five on the bases. In game two the team garnered eight hits and seven walks displaying great patience at the plate. The biggest difference in game two was the number of runners left on base. The Thunderbirds stranded 15 on the base path while the team from California left only five. 

Between the two games, there was a handful of Thunderbirds who picked up multiple hits. Sophomore infielder Sophia Masut had two hits on the day while fellow sophomore infielder Jayne Sepulveda grabbed two hits of her own. The redshirt senior infielder Josey White picked up a couple of hits and so did junior outfielder Allie Laub. Freshman infielder Emily Gonzalez who led the T-Birds last week also picked up a pair of hits to maintain a .500 batting average. 

GAME 1

UC Santa Barbara jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, scoring four runs in the first inning. The Gauchos added a pair of runs in the second inning and broke it open by scoring four more runs in the bottom of the third. 

Southern Utah threatened to score in the second inning when Sophomore Riley Nielson hit an impressive double in the top of the second. The Two runs for the Thunderbirds came in the top of the third inning when Josey White singled up the middle to score Miranda Lopez. Freshman Emily Gonzalez followed that up with a double to left field bringing in Jayne Sepulveda. Sepulveda and White were both 2-3 at the plate in the game. 

In the circle, it was Keimon Winston who got the start. Winston pitched 2.1 innings and struck out two hitters. Riley Nielson came into the game in relief, pitching 1.2 innings and holding the Gauchos to just one run and two hits. 

GAME 2

In game two of the doubleheader, the Gauchos continued to put up runs in bunches. UC Santa Barbara scored two runs in the bottom of the first. They then added another run in the third and scored a lopsided six runs in the fifth. 

The Thunderbirds for their part hit the ball well but couldn't come up with the hit at the right time. The T-Birds grabbed a run in the second inning when Alayah Toscano doubled to score Sepulveda. 

In the third inning, Southern Utah briefly tied the game up with a double by Allie Laub. The critical hit by Laub brought Nielson to the plate evening the game at 2 runs each. 

Three Thunderbirds came up with multiple hits in game two including Sophia Masut, Toscano, and Laub. It was Toscano and Laub who posted the team's RBIs. The Gauchos elected not to give Gonzalez much of a chance to continue the impact she has had on the lineup this season, walking her twice in the game. 

Payton Goodrich held UC Santa Barbara to just 2 hits in four innings of work in the circle. The three runs she gave up in the effort all came in unearned. 

NEXT UP

The Thunderbirds will continue the series with UC Santa Barbara on Saturday at 1:00 pm MT. The series' final game will be on ESPN+ and you can follow the live stats on the team's schedule page at suutbirds.com. 

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