Storm Sweep T-Birds on Senior Day, Five Hits for Hunter

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SAINT GEORGE, Utah – Junior pitcher Brittnie Whipple tabbed a pair of wins during Saturday's doubleheader sweep of Southern Utah University at Karl Brooks Field. Holding the T-Birds to one hit in the opener, Dixie State prevailed 8-0 in five innings. In the second game, Katlyn Nelson (Wilsonville. OR/Wilsonville High School) singled up the middle plating Bailey Hicken for a 7-6 walkoff win.

Dixie State (37-12) closed out the regular season with 17 wins in their last 19 games and completed a three-game season sweep of their foes from Cedar City.

Whipple tossed a one-hitter against SUU in the opener and struck out six.

Senior Shantae Hunter (Idaho Falls. ID/Idaho Falls High School) scored from third on a double steal attempt to put Dixie State in front 1-0 after one frame.

The score remained unchanged until the DSC fifth. Anna Cue (Murrieta Valley, CA/Murrieta Valley High School) led off with a single followed by a double from Cassie Merrill. Hicken slapped a bouncer through the middle to plate the pair. After a Hunter single moved Hicken to third, Breanna Egge (Las Vegas. NV/Centennial High School) doubled to right to make the advantage 4-0.

The lead pushed to seven and put the game on the cusp of the run-rule with a Kelsey Mendenhall (Tooele. UT/Tooele High School) RBI-sacrifice fly, a Johnna Brown (Las Vegas, NV/Centennial ) run-scoring single to center and Cue's second hit of the inning to right.

Kylee Higgins (Layton. UT/Layton High School) capped the definitive seven-run inning with a single to left scoring Brown to end the game after five.

Katie Kearns dropped the decision for SUU allowing 12 hits in 4.2 innings pitched.

Game two looked more like a heavyweight boxing slugfest with each team handing out haymakers in the first inning. The T-Birds got an RBI fielder choice from Nicole Huntsman and a two-run single from Darleen Fernandez for a 3-0 lead.

DSC answered right back in the home first. Hunter and Egge each had RBI singles while Brown chipped in a sac fly to even up the score.

Huntsman's single in the third put the Birds back on top, but Brown had a big answer with a three-run line drive homer to left putting Dixie State up 6-4.

SUU's Norian James laced a single for a run in the 4th and Fernandez hit a solo shot in the fifth to tie the game at 6-6.

Knotted in the final frame, DSC got Hicken aboard being hit by a Kristina Brooks pitch. Hunter moved Hicken to third with a single setting the plate for Nelson's bouncer up the middle for the game winner.

Whipple did not allow a hit over 1.1 innings for the relief victory. Starter Lauren Folta (Erda. UT/Tooele High School) scattered six runs on eight hits in 5.2 frames.

Brooks went the distance for SUU but drops to 2-12 on the year.

The Red Storm now awaits word from the NCAA about a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Heading into the weekend, the Red Storm held the seven spot in the West Region. Eight teams from each region are selected for the tournament. First round games in the West Regional begin May 14.

Stay tuned to DixieAtheltics.com for further updates on the Red Storm's quest to defend their regional championship from a year ago.

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