SAINT GEORGE, UT- Bailie Hicken (Cedar Hills. UT/Lone Peak High School), Shantae Hunter (Idaho Falls. ID/Idaho Falls High School) and Ashley McFarland (Layton. UT/Layton High School) had multiple hits en route to an 11-3 run shortened opening game of a doubleheader against University of Hawaii Hilo on Friday afternoon.

 

A majority of all the action for the Red Storm (10-7, 5-3 PWC) would come in the bottom of the second inning when they would collect 10 runs on 10 hits and force Vulcans (20-7, 16-6 PWC) starting pitcher Amber Waracka to vacate the circle.

 

Hunter lead the inning off with a home run to left center, McFarland followed with a walk and was sacrificed to second base by Kylee Higgins (Layton. UT/Layton High School). Cassie Merrill would then triple to right center scoring McFarland from second base. Katelyn Nelson (Copperas Cove. TX/Copperas Cove HS '05) would follow with a double to left field that would score Merrill from third base. Hicken would pick up her first hit of the day on a bunt single to the catcher that would move Nelson to third base. She would steal second on the next pitch.

 

Breanna Egge (Las Vegas. NV/Centennial High School) would follow Hicken with an infield bunt single of her own. This time Egge's bunt would allow Nelson to score and Hicken to get to third base. Egge would steal second two pitches later. Anna Cue (Murrieta Valley, CA/Murrieta Valley High School) followed with a single up the middle that scored Hicken from third base and move Egge up one base.

 

Kelsey Mendenhall (Tooele. UT/Tooele High School) would single through the left side allowing Egge to score and pinch runner Jayci Jeffress (Brighton, CO/Brighton HS) would advance to third base after stealing second prior to the Mendenhall single. Mendenhall would steal second three pitches later.

 

Hunter would add her second hit and RBI of the inning by depositing UHH pitch into right field that would score Jeffress from third base and move Mendenhall to third. Hunter would steal second on the next pitch, the Red Storm's fifth stolen base of the inning.

 

McFarland would double on a 2-1 fastball into right center field that would score Mendenhall and Hunter. The final run of the inning came on when Merrill singled up the middle giving the Red Storm a 10-2 lead.

 

After a rough first frame for DSC starter Brittnie Whipple she would breeze throught the next four innings, until the Vulcans added a run in the top of the 5^th inning on a Kanani Numata RBI double into right center field. Whipple would finish with 2 strikeouts in five innings and picked up her fifth win of the year.

 

In game two, Hunter walked and then the Red Storm jumped out to an early 2-0 lead when Cue deposited a 2-1 pitch over the right center field fence for a two run home run. Dixie State would get two more runs in the bottom of the third inning as well.

 

The Red Storm did not play so well in game two, committing five errors and stranding 11 runners on base. DSC starter Lauren Folta (Erda. UT/Tooele High School) was chased in the top of the fifth inning after getting into trouble. The Vulcans would go on and score five runs in the frame. Folta took the loss and dropped to 5-4 on the year, but didn't get much help from her defense. She gave up six runs but only three were earned. She walked five and struck out two in 4 and two thirds of work.

 

After relieving starter Amber Waracka, Christina Pedroza pitched six strong innings allowing eight hits and 3 runs but none of them were earned.

 

Dixie State and Hawaii Hilo will conclude their series tomorrow afternoon at Karl Brooks Field. First pitch is scheduled for 12 NOON.