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Utah Tech University Athletics

SB - Honey Celebration vs. Sonoma
Stan Plewe/Utah Tech Athletics
4
Sonoma State SSU 36-19
5
Winner Dixie State DX-SB 40-12
Sonoma State SSU
36-19
4
Final
5
Dixie State DX-SB
40-12
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Sonoma State SSU 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 4 6 2
Dixie State DX-SB 0 3 0 1 0 0 1 5 9 2

W: Barkwell, Alexis (11-1) L: VIDMAR (14-9)

Game Recap: Softball | | By DSU Athletics Media Relations

No. 23 Softball opens NCAA Regionals with 5-4 win over Sonoma State

Trailblazers and Seawolves combine for four home runs as DSU advances

GAME HIGHLIGHTS
POST-GAME INTERVIEWS

No. 23 Dixie State softball opened the 2017 NCAA Division II West Regionals with a thrilling 5-4 comeback victory over Sonoma State on Thursday at the Otter Sports Complex in Seaside, California.

The No. 4 Trailblazers (40-12) and No. 5-seeded Seawolves (36-19) combined for four home runs in the contest, while Dixie State used two sacrifice flies to earn the victory.

Sonoma State wasted no time opening the scoring, pushing across two runs on three hits in the top of the first to take an early 2-0 lead. The Seawolves extended the lead to 3-0 in the top of the second with a solo home run.

Unfazed, Dixie State used the long ball to its advantage in the bottom of the second. Kenzie Sawyer (Cedar City, Utah/Canyon View) sparked the run, blasting a leadoff home run over the wall in left center field to cut the lead to 3-1. Jessica Gonzalez (Kingsburg, Calif./Kingsburg HS) then drove a single to right field to set up more long ball fireworks. Arista Honey (Bothell, Wash./Bothell HS) stepped to the plate, took the first pitch, then belted the 0-1 pitch over the wall in left field to tie the game at 3-3.

Sonoma State threatened to retake the lead in the top of fourth, putting runners on the corners with two outs for senior Alison Strycula, who hit her first home run of the season in the second inning. Strycula watched two balls go by before lacing the 2-0 pitch into shallow center field. The ball seemed destined to drop in, but Janessa Bassett (Stansbury Park, Utah/Stansbury HS) had other plans. The Pacific West Conference Defender of the Year ended the inning with a diving catch to keep the game tied at 3-3.

Dixie State took its first lead of the game in the bottom half of the fourth when Josey Hartman (Mapleton, Utah/Maple Mountain HS) drove a sacrifice fly to center field to give the Trailblazers a 4-3 advantage. Gonzalez opened the inning with a single through the left side, then moved to third on a Honey double before scoring the go-ahead run on the sacrifice fly.

The Seawolves pulled even at 4-4 in the top of the fifth on a solo home run by Karly Macadangdang, marking the fourth combined home run of the game.

The Trailblazers saw a golden opportunity to take the lead in the bottom of the sixth, using a single and a walk to put two runners on base with only one out. But, Sonoma State worked out of the jam to keep the scored tied at 4-4.

Sonoma State took advantage of a pair of DSU errors in the top of seventh to put a runner on second with one out. But, Alexis Barkwell (San Diego, Calif./North Medford HS) struck out the next batter, followed by a backhand stab by Hartman at shortstop to end the inning.

Dixie State wouldn't let a second opportunity slip by, clinching the win in the bottom of the seventh. Shelby Yung (Upland, Calif./Upland HS) set up the winning play with a one-out triple down the right field line, then crossed the plate to seal the win when Bailey Gaffin (Glendale, Ariz./Mountain Ridge HS) drove a sacrifice fly to center field for the walk-off RBI.

Honey led the way at the plate for Dixie State, going 2-for-2 with a walk and two RBI. Gonzalez also logged a 2-for-2 day with a sacrifice bunt. Sawyer logged the third multi-hit performance of the day for DSU, going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Alexis Barkwell (San Diego, Calif./North Medford HS) (11-1) earned the win, holding the Seawolves hitless after entering the game in the fifth inning.

The Trailblazers will play the winner of No. 1 Cal State Monterey Bay and No. 8 Western Washington on Friday at 11 a.m. Pacific Time (Noon MT).
 
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