CEDAR CITY, Utah - Western Illinois pounded out 25 hits and scored 15 runs in two games but Southern Utah rallied in each contest to take a doubleheader on Friday, March 18.

The Fighting Leathernecks (6-12, 3-2) held the lead in the seventh inning of both games before the Thunderbirds (9-15, 4-1) came storming back to snap Western's 12-game winning streak in regular season conference games.

The teams will conclude their three game series with a single contest tomorrow at 1 p.m. (CT).

Game One - Southern Utah 8, Western Illinois 6

Southern Utah scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to really past Western Illinois in the first game of Friday's doubleheader.

The Thunderbirds trailed 6-4 heading into the game's final frame before Madison Resley completed the comeback with a walk-off, three-run homer.

Western Illinois got on the board first with three runs in the third inning. Anna Copeland brought in the first run with a sacrifice fly to left before Nikki Marinec's two-run, two-out single gave the Leathernecks a 3-0 lead.

The Leathernecks would extend the lead to 4-0 when Colleen Biebel scored from second base on Beth Golitko's RBI single in the top of the fourth.

Southern Utah answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the game. Cora Cordova started the rally with an RBI double to right field for the Thunderbirds' first run.

Jenavieve Purcell brought in a run with an infield single in the next at bat. Two fielding errors and a single would plate two more runs in the inning to make it 4-4.

Western Illinois would regain the lead when Nikki Marinec led off the seventh with a solo shot to left field. Erin Schlotfeldt extended the lead to 6-4 with an RBI double later in the inning.

Southern Utah saw its first two batters single in the bottom half of the inning before a walk loaded the bases with no outs. An RBI groundout would pull the Thunderbirds within one (6-5) before Resley's three-run blast to center ended the game.

Ashley Campbell (4-4) was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits in 1.2 innings of relief work. Hailey Bickford got the start and allowed three runs (two earned) in 4.1 innings of work.

Marinec finished the game 2-for-4 with a team-high three RBI. Golitko and Schlotfeldt also finished the contest 2-for-4 and Biebel stole her fifth base of the season.

Western Illinois outhit Southern Utah 11 to nine and both teams committed two errors. The Leathernecks left nine runners stranded on base with the Thunderbirds left just five.

Game Two - Southern Utah 10, Western Illinois 9

Southern Utah scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh for the second game in a row to sweep Friday's doubleheader from Western Illinois.

Jenavieve Purcell's RBI double down the right field line capped off the comeback. The Thunderbirds scored six runs over the final two innings after trailing 8-4 after the fifth.

Southern Utah jumped out to a 2-0 lead on an RBI single and an RBI groundout in the bottom of the first but the Leathernecks would rally for four runs in the third inning.

Jamie Goss hit a two-out RBI single to plate Western's first run and Megan Kelly capped off the inning with a three-run blast off the scoreboard in center field to make it 4-2.

The Thunderbirds cut the deficit to one run on Resley's two-out RBI double in bottom of the third. Western Illinois jumped back out to a two-run lead (5-3) on Kelsey Michelini's leadoff homer in the fourth inning.

Southern Utah would answer again with a run in the bottom half of the inning when Nicole Huntsman hit a leadoff homer to center field to make it 5-4.

Marinec and Goss led off the top of the fifth with singles before Kelly extended the lead to 8-4 with her second three run blast of the game.

A two-run shot by Aly Daniels in the bottom of the sixth pulled Southern Utah back to within two runs (8-6) heading in to the final inning of the game.

Schlotfeldt's solo homer to lead off the seventh put the Leathernecks back up by three runs (9-6) before Southern Utah staged another rally to pick up the win.

Katie Olinger's RBI single made it 9-7 before Cordova's two-run single tied the contest. The Thunderbirds closed out the game on Purcells double to complete the sweep.

Cambell (4-5) was saddled with her second loss of the day after allowing one run on two hits in relief. Michelini started the contest and allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits in 3.0 innings.

Kelly finished 2-for-4 with a career-high six RBI while Colleen Biebel finished with a team high three hits. Western Illinois outhit Southern Utah 14 to 13 and committed two errors in the contest.

The two teams combined for six homers runs in the game and the Leathernecks stranded eight runners on base while the Thunderbirds stranded nine.