Box Score SALEM, VA – In a must win situation at the D2 Softball Championships, the Dixie State softball turned to its veteran leadership to guide them to a gutty 4-3 victory over West Chester of Pennsylvania at the Moyer Sports Complex on Saturday night.
The Red Storm (51-9) turned to there juniors
Nicole Chavez (Chino Hills, CA/Ayala High School),
Courtney Hine (San Dimas, CA/San Dimas High School),
Courtney Sherwin (Mesa, AZ/Red Mountain High School) and sophomore
Autumn Woodfall (Kaysville, UT/Davis High School) to supply the much needed shot in the arm to the offense.
Head Coach
Randy Simkins also opted to make a change to the batting lineup and throw a wrinkle in defensively. He turned to Woodfall as the designated player,
Kristie Johnson (Temecula, CA/Chaparral High School) to play left field and
Aryn Feickert (Lancaster, CA/Highland ) to start in the circle. Two of the three changes really paid off in favor of Dixie State.
"We needed to play with some urgency today," said Simkins. "When the top of our order hits it seems to have a trickle down effect on the rest of our team."
Chavez did just that as she started the game off with a solid single up the middle and followed by stealing second base. Sherwin followed with a line drive double into right center and traded places with Chavez to give DSU a 1-0 lead. After a
Sheila Gelter (St. George, UT/Dixie High School) walk, Woodfall deposited a ball just over the head of the shortstop for an RBI single to give the Storm a 2-0 lead.
In the second frame Chavez hit a two-out home run to left field, her 11
th of the season that pushed the DSU lead to 3-0.
Feickert continued to pitch out of near misses as the Golden Rams stranded a runner in the first, three in the third and one in the third. She reached her cruise control in the fourth and fifth frames as she retired the side in order.
After a
Brooke Budge (Springville, UT/Springville High School) single to left center, Chavez drew a two out walk and Hine followed with the eventual game winner, a double just past the third baseman to extend the DSU lead to 4-0.
Feickert and the Storm seemed to be cruising and in complete control of the contest as she had retired seven WCUP (42-22) batters in a row. But the pesky Golden Rams drew a leadoff walk in the sixth and Kim Murl followed by hitting a high fly ball to short left field that was misplayed and dropped that allowed WCUP to threaten with runners and first and second and no outs. The very next batter deposited the 0-1 Feickert pitch over the left field fence for just her second home run of the season and cut the DSU lead to 4-3.
Simkins turned to
Michelle Duncan (Gilbert, AZ/Gilbert High School) to close things out, but a pair of singles once again put the tying run in scoring position. Duncan then induced a failed sac bunt pop out to Gelter, followed by a foul ball fly out that allowed the tying run get within 60 feet. But Duncan forced a groundout to Chavez to end the threat.
DSU threatened in the seventh inning, but were turned away by Murl after Sherwin reached third base.
The Golden Rams were not going away as they led off the seventh with a single to right field. But for the second straight inning Duncan induced a pop out on a sacrifice bunt and this time
Marla Reiter (Rolinda, CA/Central High School) sprung from her crouch and caught the bunt and fired to first base to double off the pinch runner Walasavage. Murl followed with a ground out that Duncan corralled and flipped to Gelter to dispose of the Rams and keep the Storm's postseason hopes alive.
Woodfall led DSU with three hits, but Sherwin and Chavez each added two in the win. Feickert picked up the win to improve to 21-6 and Duncan earned her first save of the season in relief.
The Red Storm will have their work cut out tomorrow as they will take on the #1 ranked team West Texas A&M and will have to defeat the Buffs twice to advance to the National Championship game on Monday. First pitch is schedule for 10 a.m. Mountain Time.
