The No. 2 Dixie State softball team dropped its season opener Friday afternoon, 4-1, to No. 13 Humboldt State at Karl Brooks Field in game three of the Dixie State tournament.

The Storm (0-1) forced a three-up, three-down in their first defensive stanza, and followed up the effort by loading the bases in the bottom of the first inning.

Janessa Bassett (Stansbury Park, Utah/Stansbury HS) started things off with an infield single and later stole her way to second base. Josey Hartman (Mapleton, Utah/Maple Mountain HS) and Brooklyn Beardshear (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro HS) drew back-to-back walks, and DSU was in business with the bases loaded. However, the Storm couldn't take advantage of the base runners, as Mallory Paulson (Fruita, Colo./Fruita Monument HS) fouled out to the first baseman, and Bassett was thrown out at home to bring the inning to a screeching halt.

DSU again made quick of the Lumberjacks in the top of the second inning, and again put runners on the bases in the bottom half of the inning. Autumn Woodfall (Kaysville, Utah/Davis HS) doubled to left field and advanced to third base on an illegal pitch. Dani Bartholf (Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert HS) drew a one-out walk and stole second. But again the Storm would leave the runners stranded after Kristie Johnson (Temecula, Calif./Chaparral HS) and Bassett both struck out. Through two complete innings, Dixie State had stranded a total of five runners.

"We've got to do a better job of executing," head coach Randy Simkins said. "We had runners on base with less than two outs (and didn't score). Give their pitcher credit. She threw the ball well, but we've got to do a better job in those situations when we have runners on base and good hitters at the plate."

Dixie State got into a jam in the fifth inning after Aryn Feickert (Lancaster, Calif./Highland HS) hit the first batter and a sacrifice bunt moved the runner to second base. Kalyn Paque then singled for the Lumberjacks, but Shelby Yung (Upland, Calif./Upland HS) held the runner at third with solid throw from right field. Woodfall followed up the throw with a big throw of her own and caught Paque trying to steal third for the second out, and DSU seemed poised to get out of the inning unscathed. But HSU scored on the next play after a fielding error by at third base allowed the runners to advance.

The Storm evened the score in the bottom of the sixth inning when Brooklyn Beardshear (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro HS) doubled to center field and Taylor Godfrey (Buckeye, Ariz./Estrella Foothills HS) checked in as a pinch runner. Mallory Paulson (Fruita, Colo./Fruita Monument HS) layed down a sacrifice bunt, and the Humboldt State catcher sailed the throw past the first baseman, allowing Godfrey to score from second.

Beardshear took over for Feickert in the pitcher's circle midway through the top of the seventh inning after a fielding error and walk left two base runners for the Lumberjacks with one out.  Beardshear struck out the first batter she faced for the second out, and like the fifth inning, the Storm seemed poised to get out of the inning unscathed. But, like the fifth inning, it wasn't to be. Beardshear worked to get two strikes in the count, but left one high and HSU All-American Hannah Holland blasted the pitch to center field to score a run. A fielding error during the next at-bat allowed two more runs to score before Dixie could get out of the inning.

Trailing by three runs to start the bottom of the seventh inning, the Storm made a mini two-out rally to get runners on first and second, but Josey Hartman (Mapleton, Utah/Maple Mountain HS) lined out to the shortstop to end the game.

Feickert pitched 6 1-3 innings with four strikeouts and five walks in the loss. Bassett and Woodfall led the way offensively, both going 2 for 3 at the plate. As a team Dixie State left eight runners on base.

The Storm return to action tomorrow on Day Two of the Dixie State Tournament, and will face another tough task against No. 22 West Texas A&M at 12:30 p.m. at Karl Brooks Field. The Buffs defeated Fort Lewis (9-1) and Colorado State-Pueblo (10-0) on Friday with both games ending after five innings.