Can't blame him. The Red Storm put on one of the worst defensive performances of the season in an 8-7 loss to Grand Canyon in Game 2 of the doubleheader. The Antelopes snapped an eight-game losing streak to Dixie State with the win.

The Red Storm (22-11, 11-5 Pac West) were dinged for five errors in the defeat.

"That's uncharacteristic of our team," Simkins said. "We don't have that many errors of mistakes."

Dixie State did, however, take Game 1, 5-2.

The two teams will meet again today at noon, and for Dixie State, a shot at the regional might fall on if it can sweep the two games from the Antelopes (34-9, 15-7).

Folta remains confident that the team will bounce back and take the last two games of the series.

"It sucks we lost, but I think it got us pumped up for tomorrow," Folta said. "We know what we did wrong and what to fix. I think we'll be fine."

The second game miscues left just about everyone scratching their heads.

"I honestly have no clue (what happened)," said Dixie State outfielder Bailie Hicken (Cedar Hills. UT/Lone Peak High School), who had an error in the first game. "We've always had strong defense. We don't usually make that many errors. ... Minus the five errors, we played well (offensively). I'm not too worried about (the defense)."

Brittnie Whipple walked three batters, and when combined with 12 hits and the five errors, it was a potent concoction for disaster against the No. 3 team in the West Region.

"Whipple threw the ball well, we just didn't back her up at all," Simkins said. "I told her, 'You threw well enough to give us a chance.' And we didn't help her."

Dixie State got the hits it needed, tallying 14 and seven runs. It was practically one or two plays away from winning the game.

But small baserunning errors such as Kaitlyn Nelson hesitating on what would have been the tying-run or Bailie Hicken (Cedar Hills. UT/Lone Peak High School) being tagged out at second, kept the Red Storm from overcoming all of the defensive liabilities.

"You put up seven runs on the board and you think you're going to win," Simkins said. "Man, you can't do it with that many errors."

In the alternate dimension known as the Game 1, Dixie State's offense got enough runs to give Lauren Folta (Erda. UT/Tooele High School) support and the defense was so porous either.

In the fifth and sixth inning, the Red Storm got solid defensive efforts from Hicken (caught the ball as she gently went into the wall), Breanna Egge (Las Vegas. NV/Centennial High School) (nailed a runner stealing second) and a couple of difficult plays by the infielders.

"Defense was on key the first game," Folta said.

Offensively, the Red Storm took advantage in the fifth inning, when Egge scored Hicken and Shantae Hunter (Idaho Falls. ID/Idaho Falls High School). Egge reached safely when the first baseman was called for interference and made a bad throw to second, allowing Egge to advance.

Egge later scored on an Ashley McFarland (Layton. UT/Layton High School) sacrifice fly.

BY PAUL DELOS SANTOS • pdelossant@thespectrum.com