Storm Slugs Way to Split vs. Academy

Lose game one 11-10 before bouncing back with 6-4 win

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ST. GEORGE, Utah – Dixie State softball combined for 26 hits in two games Saturday against the Academy of Art. Defensive miscues hindered the Red Storm in an 11-10 series opening loss while Lauren Folta (Erda. UT/Tooele High School) pitched DSC to a 6-4 win in splitting Pacific West Conference action at Karl Brooks Field.

Game one resembled a classic heavyweight boxing slugfest in the amount of scoring. Ashley McFarland (Layton. UT/Layton High School) gave Dixie State a 1-0 lead in the first with an RBI double scoring Breanna Egge (Las Vegas. NV/Centennial High School).

The Urban Knights (20-12, 10-4 PWC) rallied with two outs to score three times in the second inning off starter Brittnie Miller (Moab. UT/Grand High School).

Home run derby broke out in the Dixie third as Anna Cue (Murrieta Valley, CA/Murrieta Valley High School), Johnna Brown (Las Vegas, NV/Centennial ) and Cassi Merrill (Calgary, Alberta/Foundations for the Future Charter Academy) went back-to-back-to-back for a 5-3 advantage. McFarland added a three-run bomb in the fourth pushing the Storm lead to 8-5.

The Knights went to work on DSC reliever Mattie Snow (Tooele, UT/Tooele High School) in a six-run sixth frame. Andrea Hanchey tied the game with a three-run double and Jayme Stewart provided extra cushion with a two-run blast to left field. One of the Storm's four errors aided the Knights' run.

Down by three, the Red Storm (20-9, 11-3 PWC) pulled within a run with Mendenhall's second homer of the day – a two-run shot. A seventh inning rally fell short after Ryanne Dacosin (Kaneohe, HI/Castle High School) led off the inning with a single. She was stranded after three DSC swings failed to leave the infield.

DSC swatted 17 hits in the loss – Mendenhall led the way going 3-for-5 with 5 RBI.

Kimberly Dauer earned the win for AAU in relief despite allowing five runs on seven hits in 2.2 innings. Katie Brooks notched a save pitching two scoreless innings.

In game two, Folta held AAU to one run over two hits in the first four innings while her supporting offense staked her to a lead.

McFarland posted three runs on the scoreboard with a home run in the third and Egge doubled home Dacosin in the fourth.

AAU evened the score at 5-5 in the fifth inning highlighted by a Lauren Stover two run triple.

The Storm responded with a pair of RBI doubles from Egge and Mendenhall in the sixth. Folta battled to keep the Knights scoreless stranding three runners in the last two innings for her ninth win.

Both teams return to the diamond Sunday at 12 noon for another doubleheader.

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