PHOENIX, Arizona—Southern Utah took down the top team in the WAC Saturday afternoon. The Thunderbirds used some late-game heroics to come from behind twice in the effort, finishing with an 8-7 victory.
Freshman Kassidy Munoz stepped up in a big way at the plate, coming through with four hits. Multiple Thunderbirds collected two hits on the day, including Emily Gonzalez, Taralyn Ollison, and Laurie Cooke. Cooke added three RBIs to her season total in the game, as did Shelby Basso, who came in to blast a pinch-hit three-run home run in the fifth inning.
The Thunderbirds emptied the bench in the game, using nearly every available player, including three different pitchers. Sophomore Delaney Baker earned the win, pitching 2.1 innings in relief. Junior Keimon Winston started the game and returned to the rubber to pick up the final out and a save for the Thunderbirds.
Coach Don Don Williams Said
"This was a full team effort! From pitching to defense to timely hitting. We had some clutch performances in crucial situations."
"Today was a great program win. We need to take this momentum into next week and finish strong."
Game Summary
Southern Utah started slowly and missed a few early opportunities, allowing Grand Canyon to take the lead with a powerful homer by Fifield in the bottom of the first inning.
Southern Utah bounced back, however in the top of the second inning, thanks to hits by Kassidy Munoz and Taralyn Ollison, which helped them tie the game at two runs each. Grand Canyon quickly responded by scoring another run, grabbing a 3-2 lead.
The game continued to be a back-and-forth battle, with Senior Shelby Basso hitting a clutch homer in the fifth inning to put the T-Birds on top. Grand Canyon's Trierweiler had other plans, hitting a homer of her own in the sixth inning to shift the momentum back to the Lopes and giving them a 7-5 lead.
Southern Utah staged a remarkable comeback as the game headed to the seventh final inning. Down to their last out, the Thunderbirds got key hits, first from Taralyn Ollison, driving in Miranda Lopez. Laurie Cooke then stepped to the plate with two runners in scoring position and quickly fell to an 0-2 count before delivering a double that scored Alayah Toscano and Ollison. Despite Grand Canyon's attempts to rally in the bottom of the seventh, Southern Utah's defense held strong, as Keimon Winston came in to get the deciding out, clinching a hard-fought 8-7 victory.
Next Up
The Thunderbirds will return home to Kathryn Berg Field for their final home series of the season next Saturday and Sunday, April 27-28. Southern Utah will take on in-state foe Utah Valley, looking to stay in position to make the WAC tournament. The T-Birds will honor the senior softball players before Sunday's matchup with the Wolverines.
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