Storm win wild 15-inning affair, but fall short for Super Regional quest

Dixie State completes season with 40-14 record

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SAINT GEORGE, Utah – Marla Reiter (Rolinda, CA/Central High School) doubled in the top of the seventh to tie a close pitcher's duel Sunday afternoon and Dixie State tallied two runs eight runs later to defeat Cal State Dominguez Hills, 3-1, to force a second game. After taking an early lead, the Toros capitalized on DSU miscues for a seven-run spurt in earning a spot in the NCAA West Super Regional with a 7-2 victory at Karl Brooks Field.

Dixie State completes its season at 40-14 with a share of the Pacific West Conference title and the memories of one of the wildest games in the West Region in their minds.

Kate Coffey (Fallon, NV/Churchill County High School) threw all 15 innings in Saturday's opener, allowing just one run on a fourth inning infield single by Jasmine Ruiz. Coffey worked out of many jams including the Toro twelfth. Adriana Sanchez was a second base with two outs and attempted to score on a single up the middle by pitcher Stephanie Jimenez. Kristie Johnson (Temecula, CA/Chaparral High School) fired a throw from center field to get Sanchez at the plate after she slid past the back point of the dish.

Dixie State was provided the opportunity to play in extra innings thanks to a seventh-inning rally. Anna Cue (Murrieta Valley, CA/Murrieta Valley High School) led off the inning with a single before Bailee Freeland (Ogden, UT/Bonneville High School) came in to pinch run. Freeland advanced on a sacrifice bunt setting up the situation for Reiter. With a 1-2 count, Reiter found space inside the right field line for a double scoring Freeland.

In the 15^th, Autumn Woodfall (Kaysville, UT/Davis High School) led off with a single and advanced to third after a Johnna Brown (Las Vegas, NV/Centennial ) single preceded a CSUDH throwing error. Kylee Bufton (Spanish Fork, UT/Spanish Fork High School) lifted a fly ball to center field, deep enough to plate Woodfall with the go-ahead run. Cue made the score 3-1 with a double to right center.

Coffey closed out the Toros in the bottom half of the inning inducing two ground balls to short. Brown turned a double play for the final outs.

Brown went 5 for 6 at the dish to lead DSU – Bufton, Cue and Reiter added two hits each.

In the regional's seventh game, Cue put DSU up 2-0 with her 14^th home run in the second inning. Michelle Duncan (Gilbert, AZ/Gilbert High School) made the lead stick throwing five scoreless frames.

The Toros executed their final successful salvo in the sixth. After a leadoff single and double put runners on second and third, a one out grounded to third resulted in a run on the first of two inning errors. CSUDH tied the game with a successful squeeze bunt and took the lead on an infield single from Daisy Beltran. The bases loaded after Duncan hit the next batter and Sanchez – the leading power threat – put the game out of reach with a grand slam home run to left-center field.

Duncan allowed just one earned run, but fell to 19-4 on year. Phillips had three of eight Dixie State hits – Bufton and Cue added two each.

CSU Dominguez Hills will face the region's top seed, Humboldt State, next weekend for the right to represent the West in the Division II Championships in Salem, Va.

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