CEDAR CITY, Utah — Britney Moreno hit for the cycle, recording her 200th career hit, and Tatum Hall drove in six on the day to lead Utah Valley to a 10-7 win over Southern Utah on Friday in a doubleheader split at Kathryn Berg Field.
The Wolverines fell in the second game of the afternoon, as the Thunderbirds rallied to win 5-3.
Moreno's cycle is the second in program history and the first against a D-I opponent. The only other cycle in the Wolverines' D-I era was hit by Jasmine Joyce in 2007 against Northwest Nazarene.
Hall's six RBIs pushes her to 51 on the season, the second-most in program history and the most by a left-handed batter. Hall needs just two more RBIs to set the single-season record, currently held by Brittney Vansway.
GAME ONE
The Wolverines rode a fast start to hold on for the win in game one, scoring five in the first and four in the third.
The first five Utah Valley batters reached to start the game, with Hall roping a three-run double off the wall after three-straight singles. Hall came around to score on a wild pitch, then another run came in on a squeeze bunt by Megan Sterzer.
After SUU plated one in the bottom of the first, the Wolverines got it right back on an RBI single by Hall. Utah Valley rallied for four more in the third, punctuated by a three-run homer by Moreno.
The T-Birds made it interesting late, scoring three in the fourth and fifth, but the Wolverines were able to hold on for the win.
Moreno secured the last leg of her cycle in the most fitting way possible, roping her WAC-leading eighth triple down the left field line in the top of the seventh.
GAME TWO
Moreno picked up right where she left off in game one, blasting a lead-off homer to become the fourth player in program history to reach 200 hits for her career. Hall followed it up with a solo homer of her own two batters later, her 11th of the season to tie for the most in program history by a left-handed batter.
SUU matched the Wolverines' runs with a two-run homer of their own in the home half of the first.
Hall picked up her sixth RBI of the day in the third, roping a double to right center to restore the Wolverine lead.
The T-Birds took the lead for good in the fifth, scoring three, aided in part by a pair of Wolverine errors.
Utah Valley got the tying run to the plate with nobody out in the seventh, but were unable to capitalize as Mya Higareda and Moreno both lined out sharply to second.
The Wolverines will look to take the rubber match of the series tomorrow and secure the four seed in next week's WAC Tournament. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. MDT, and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
