TUCSON, Ariz. - Day three of the NFCA Leadoff Classic wasn't so kind to the Dixie State softball team with back-to-back heartbreaking losses. The Red Storm lost the semifinal matchup to Central Oklahoma 2-1 and dropped the consolation third-place game to No. 1 ranked West Texas A&M 5-4 in extra innings.
GAME 1Aryn Feickert (Lancaster, CA/Highland ) took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning. After a walk and a strikeout, UCO's Brooke Zukerman blasted one of the wall for a two-run homer and the one and only hit of the game for Central Oklahoma. The one hit was enough to hand DSU it's first loss of the season on a 2-1 pitchers' duel.
Feickert struck out 13 batters in her seven innings, giving up just the one hit and surrendering two walks.
Dixie State's big bats were quiet for most of the day, scattering nine singles but never finding a way to bring in more runs except for
Kristie Johnson (Temecula, CA/Chaparral High School)'s steal of home in the third inning.
The Red Storm loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh with no outs but back-to-back force outs at the plate and a fly out to left thwarted the comeback effort.
Brooklyn Beardshear (Tucson, AZ/Sahuaro) went 2 for 3 while Johnson added two hits and Janessa Barrett went 2 for 4.
GAME 2A tight game throughout, Dixie State suffered its second-consecutive heartbreaker in a 5-4 extra-inning loss to No. 1 ranked West Texas A&M.
After knotting up the game at 3-3 to send it to extras, a one run lead into the bottom of the eighth wasn't enough and the Lady Buffs hung two on the Red Storm to take third place at the NFCA Leadoff Classic.
Beardshear took the loss in the circle for DSU while
Mallory Paulson (Fruita, CO/Fruita Monument) went 2 for 4 with a home run and two RBI.
Dixie State got two runs in the top of the first after an RBI single from
Courtney Hine (San Dimas, CA/San Dimas High School) and a solo home run from
Mallory Paulson (Fruita, CO/Fruita Monument).
West Texas A&M got a run back with an RBI double in the bottom of the second and took the lead with a two-run single the next inning.
Autumn Woodfall (Kaysville, UT/Davis High School) tied it up with an RBI on a fielder's choice in the top of the sixth. The Red Storm and West Texas A&M went to extras.
Per tiebreaker rules, DSU started with
Josey Hartman (Mapleton, UT/Maple Mountain) on second base to begin the top of the eighth. She advanced to third on a ground out and Paulson singled through the right side to score her, taking a 4-3 lead.
The edge was short-lived however as the Lady Buffs answered with a sacrifice fly to tie it up 4-4 in the bottom half. A game-winning RBI double later in the bottom of the eighth finished off the Red Storm 5-4.
Dixie State will play in the Desert Stinger Tournament in Las Vegas next weekend, opening against Augustana on Friday, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m.
