HILO, Hawaii - A pair of 2-0 shutouts over the Hilo Vulcans sent the Dixie State softball team back to Oahu with two more wins on its Hawaiian road trip.
Michelle Duncan (Gilbert, AZ/Gilbert High School) and
Aryn Feickert (Lancaster, CA/Highland ) provided the one-two pitching punch to sweep Hilo (12-9, 5-1). Dixie State (19-5, 10-0) faced tough pitching themselves but managed to get enough offense to win the day.
Game 1
Duncan continued to dazzle with a two-hit gem, carrying a no-hitter through 14 batters into the fifth inning. She posted five strikeouts and didn't walk a batter for her 11th win and fourth shutout.
Offense for the Red Storm started in the third inning with a two-out walk to
Marla Reiter (Rolinda, CA/Central High School).
Josey Hartman (Mapleton, UT/Maple Mountain) singled and
Janessa Bassett (Stansbury Park, UT/Tooele) doubled to right to score Reiter.
Dixie State got another run in the top of the fourth on a double-steal play.
Courtney Hine (San Dimas, CA/San Dimas High School) scored from third while
Bailee Freeland (Ogden, UT/Bonneville High School) got caught in a rundown.
Two runs was plenty with Duncan mowing down the Vulcans en route to the 2-0 win.
Game 2
The Red Storm broke a scoreless tie in the third inning. Back-to-back walks and a fielder's choice set the table for Hine.
Hine stroked a single to right field to score Bassett to give the Red Storm its first run.
Nicole Chavez (Chino Hills, CA/Ayala High School) came around to score on a throwing error to make it 2-0 in the third inning.
Feickert got out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom half of the third with a fly out to right. She went on to finish her third-straight complete game for her seventh win of the year. She finished allowing six hits, striking out six and walking two.
DSU will play at Chaminade on Wednesday in a doubleheader beginning at 8:30 p.m. MT.