Box Score For immediate release ST. GEORGE, Utah – (NCAA) Dixie State's Kelsey Mendenhall (Tooele. UT/Tooele High School) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the eighth inning to force in the winning run as the Red Storm downed Cal State Monterey Bay 7-6 on Friday. 

Mendenhall had a single to tie the score at 6-6 in the sixth inning of the NCAA Division II West Region game. 

The Otters had taken a 6-4 lead with four runs in the sixth inning. Shantae Hunter (Idaho Falls. ID/Idaho Falls High School)'s sacrifice fly brought Dixie State (37-10) within 6-5. 

Mendenhall's hit came after Ashley McFarland (Layton. UT/Layton High School) and Haley Schumers (Plain City. UT/Freemont High School) both walked with two outs. “It hit my wrist,” Mendenhall noted. Asked if being hit hurt, she replied, “actually it feels better that we won.” 

Mendenhall had struck out before the key at-bats in the final innings. “Especially at this level you always have to have confidence,” she said of her mindset. 

“It was a great game,” said DSC coach Beth Collett. “It was exciting. It was dramatic. The good thing about this team is we find a way to win.” Mendenhall had gotten the Red Storm going with a solo home run in the second inning. 

Dixie State scored three additional runs on three errors by the Otters (36-26-1). The Red Storm didn't score again until they trailed 6-4. Valerie Calderon's three-run pinch-hit home run was the key hit for Cal State Monterey Bay when it scored four runs to take the lead. 

Cal State Monterey Bay finished with 11 hits while Dixie State had eight. Mendenhall had two of the Red Storm's hits and added three runs batted in. 

Dixie State will play Hawaii Pacific, a 2-1 winner over California-San Diego, at 11 a.m. MST on Saturday