Defense, Duncan and Sherwin lead Red Storm to Win Over Savage Storm at D2 World Series

Box Score

SALEM, VA. – If defense wins championships then the chances of the Dixie State softball team in the D2 Softball Championships bodes well. A pair of crucial defensive plays and the ability to capitalize on opportunities at the plate, drove the Red Storm to a 3-2 victory over Southeastern Oklahoma State on Thursday night at the Moyer Sports Complex.

The Red Storm (50-8) defense backed up a gutsy performance by junior pitcher Michelle Duncan (Gilbert, AZ/Gilbert High School) and led her to her a team best 21^st victory and the teams 27^th consecutive win, 50^th of the season and first World Series victory.

The Savage Storm (43-19) kept the pressure on Duncan and her defense all night long as they would bend but never were broken.

Duncan had the liberty of pitching with the lead for the second consecutive game after the Storm capitalized on a SEO error to take a 3-0 lead. Bailee Freeland (Ogden, UT/Bonneville High School) hit a lazy pop fly down the first base line and the first baseman moved over and dropped the fly ball with one out. Chavez followed with a sharp single through the left side and put runners on the corner.

After recording what would have been the third out of the inning, the red-hot Courtney Sherwin (Mesa, AZ/Red Mountain High School) deposited the 1-0 pitch over the left center field to give DSU a 3-0 lead.

Unlike the Savage Storm, the Red Storm turned to its defense in the bottom half of the third inning when the Duncan loaded the bases after a pair of singles and a walk. With two outs and a sharp ground ball up the middle, Courtney Hine (San Dimas, CA/San Dimas High School) fielded and threw a strike to Marla Reiter (Rolinda, CA/Central High School) for her seventh outfield assist and squash the Savage Storm rally and end the inning.

In the very next inning, SEO loaded the bases again after Duncan walked a pair of runners, but she followed by inducing a 1-2-3 double play to end the inning and once again dash the hopes of the Savage Storm.

In the sixth inning, with a runner at first Duncan forced the pitchers best friend, a 6-4-3 double play to end the threat.

Duncan had to dig deep in the seventh, leading 3-1 the DSU defense looked as if it would break as the leadoff batter reached on a fielding error by Chavez. A walk and a sharp single through the right side loaded the bases for SEO for the second time in the contest.

On a sharp ground ball in the six hole, freshman shortstop Josey Hartman (Mapleton, UT/Maple Mountain) dove to her right and smothered the ball and from her chest threw a strike to Brooke Budge (Springville, UT/Springville High School) at third base to record the second out of the inning. Despite the one run scoring, Hartman's spectacular play preventing the tying run from getting within 60-feet. The very next batter hit a sharp line drive at Chavez, which she smothered and threw to first base for the victory.

Each team collected seven hits, with Sheila Gelter (St. George, UT/Dixie High School) collecting three and Sherwin hitting her 10^th big fly of the year.

The Red Storm advance to the winners bracket game tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. mountain time and they will battle Valdosta State who defeated Wayne State 8-5 in nine innings.

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