SOUTHERN UTAH

BASEBALL: The Thunderbirds suffered a 5-0 defeat in the regular season finale on Saturday afternoon as South Dakota State pitching held SUU to only six hits during the game in Brookings, S.D. The loss drops the T-Birds to 26-22 overall and 15-7 in Summit League play while the Jackrabbits move to 24-28 and 17-10 in conference play.

Neither team looked destined to take the first lead of the ball game as the teams went scoreless through the first 5 1/2 innings. Southern Utah had men in scoring position in the top of the second and top of the fifth, but strikeouts by SUU batters ended the potential threat.

South Dakota State finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth with three runs, followed by single runs in the bottom of the seventh and eighth for the eventual 5-0 outcome.

Southern Utah's best chance for runs came in the top of the sixth inning with men on the corners, but SDSU pitcher Mike Robinson induced a ground ball off the bat of Matt Sanford for the final out of the frame. Colby Ford was left stranded on second base in the top of the seventh following a two-out ground ball to the shortstop and any chance of late runs in the top of the ninth were thwarted on a game-ending double play.

Robinson earned the victory for SDSU after 3.2 innings of relief, surrendering only four hits and two walks with two strikeouts. Trever Vermeulen came on during the final 2.1 innings for his third save of the year. SUU starter Ray Wright was given the loss, dropping to 1-3 on the year, after six innings where he allowed three runs on ten hits and two walks with one strikeout.

The two teams are likely to resume acquaintances in the first round of the Summit League baseball tournament with Southern Utah entering the postseason as the projected No. 2 seed and SDSU as the No. 3 seed. That tournament is scheduled over the weekend of May 21-23 in Tulsa, Okla. on the campus of Oral Roberts University.

MEN'S GOLF: Southern Utah's Nate Page shot a final-round 78 Saturday to finish at 11-over par 227 and tied for 21st at the NCAA Division I South Central Regional golf tournament in Stillwater, Okla.

Page finished 11 shots off the pace of Oklahoma State's Kevin Tway, who earned medalist honors after shooting even-par 216 over the 7,410-yard Karsten Creek Golf Club course. Tway also led OSU to the team title, at 17-over 881, 22 shots better than second place Arkansas (903).

Page finished third among unattached individuals, behind UTEP's Roger Sloan, who finished ninth at 223, and first-round leader Trent Peterson of South Dakota State, who finished tied for 13th at 226.