Slow Start Dooms 'Dons in Cedar City

Saturday, March 12

Cedar City, Utah

2:00 PM

Purdue Fort Wayne

7-6-1, 1-2

Southern Utah

7-15, 2-1

IPFW

Southern Utah

Alex Bousquet went 1-for-1 while scoring a run in IPFW's loss to Southern Utah

3/12/2011 5:03:16 PM | Softball

Box Score

BOX SCORE

Cedar City, UT - The Southern Utah University Thunderbirds scored three times in the first two innings before holding on, topping the IPFW Mastodons 6-2 in the series finale between the two squads.

Ashleigh Bousquet went 2-for-4 for IPFW, while driving in two runs, while Alex Bousquet and Brittany Kachur each scored once. Courtney Cronin fell to 5-5 on the season, pitching five and a third of an inning, striking out three and allowing six earned runs.

Southern Utah (7-15, 2-1 Summit League) scored twice in the first inning when Darleen Fernandez doubled home a pair, and the hosts added another run in the bottom of the second on an RBI single by Haylee Hoch, pushing SUU to the 3-0 advantage.

IPFW (7-6-1, 1-2 Summit League) cut into the deficit with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning when Ashleigh Bousquet hit a two-run single, scoring Kachur and Alex Bousquet.

With their lead cut to one at 3-2, SUU added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth inning, and then two more in the bottom of the sixth to give the game its 6-2 final score.

IPFW threatened in the top of the seventh inning, as the Mastodons loaded the bases with one out with the heart of the batting order coming to the plate. Ashleigh Bousquet hit a sharp ground ball through the right side of the infield; however, the ball struck leadoff hitter Rachel Staschuk, who had walked a batter earlier, keeping the bases loaded while drawing an out. A pop-up ended the contest, with Southern Utah holding on to the four-point victory.

Jenavieve Purcell and Fernandez each picked up two hits, while Fernandez and Nicole Huntsman each drove in two runs. Heather Black picked up the win, improving to 6-6 on the season, pitching the complete game, striking out one and walking four while allowing the two earned runs.

The Mastodons, after playing its first 14 games of the season on the road, return home to host the team's next 10 games, including a Summit League series against UMKC on March 18 and 19.

~Dons~