Hazel pitches perfect game, DSU softball stays unbeaten with sweep

File photo, Dixie State's Cambrie Hazel (8), Dixie State University vs. Montana State University Billings, Softball, St. George, Utah, Feb. 10, 2018, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

ST. GEORGE – Dixie State freshman softball pitcher Cambrie Hazel was, in a word, hot.

The 19-year-old from Spanish Fork hurled a perfect game and the Trailblazers backed her up with eight runs as Dixie State blitzed Notre de Namur 8-0 Saturday. Hazel’s no hitter was the opener in a doubleheader. Teammate Alexandria Melendez tossed a four-hitter in the second half of the twin bill in an 8-2 win, giving DSU two more wins and adding to the Blazers school-record 17-game winning streak.

The first game was shortened to six innings with the NCAA mercy rule in place as Dixie State had the decided eight-run advantage. Regardless, Hazel was completely unhittable in the game. She faced and retired 18 straight NDNU batters. Nine of those batters went down on strikes. Only two Argonaut batters even worked the count to three balls. Taylor Haynes, with one out in the third, and Alessandra Giannavola, with two outs in the fourth, were the only NDNU players to work the count full and Hazel struck them both out swinging.

Cambrie Hazel

Meanwhile, DSU gave Hazel all the run support she would need in the bottom of the first inning. Janessa Bassett led off with a walk and then stole second. She came home on a single by Brenna Hinck and an Argonauts error. Hinck then came home on an RBI by Bailey Gaffin.

Dixie State added three runs in the fourth on an RBI double by Jessica Gonzalez and a two-run single by Dani Bartholf.

In the bottom of the sixth, with Hazel still pitching perfect softball, DSU ended the contest via the mercy rule. Riley Tyteca reached on an error and stole second. She went to third on another NDNU error and then stole home to make it 6-0. Moments later, Kaitlyn Delange ended the game with a two-run double that made it 8-0.

Hazel is a perfect 8-0 on the season and has a minuscule earned run average of 1.04.

File photo, Dixie State’s Janessa Bassett (1), St. George, Utah, Feb. 10, 2018, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

In game two, Bassett led the bottom of the first off with a solo home run. But DSU was just getting started as the Blazers ended up with a total of six runs in the opening frame. Cassidy Morton lined a two-run single down the line to make it 3-0 and Delange forced home a run with an RBI walk to make it 4-0. Bassett then got her second hit of the inning with a two out, two-run single to center field that made it 6-0.

DSU got another run in the second on an NDNU error to make it 7-0 and Kori Gahn completed the scoring for the Blazers with an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth. The Argonauts avoided the shutout with a run in the fifth and one in the seventh.

Melendez improved to 5-0 on the year, while Bassett continues to tear it up with a .490 batting average, plus six home runs and 12 stolen bases in 17 games.

The two teams meet again Sunday with a doubleheader that begins at noon.

Baseball
APU 14, DSU 9

Dixie State dropped the final game of its four-game Pacific West Conference series to No. 1 Azusa Pacific by a 14-9 count Saturday afternoon at Bruce Hurst Field.

Trailing 7-0 heading into the home sixth, DSU (6-12/2-6 PacWest) broke through for three runs and four hits to trim the deficit to 7-3. Kade Urban got the Trailblazers on the board with an RBI-double, then after a Jake Davison single, Tyler Hollow singled in Urban to make a 7-2 game. Davison brought home the third run of the frame after as he stole third and scored on a throwing error.

Dixie State inched closer in the seventh when Logan Porter connected for his second home run of the series and third of the season, a solo shot to left center, which drew DSU to within 7-4.

However APU (17-1/7-1 PacWest) managed to stop the Trailblazers’ momentum in the eighth as the Cougars answered with six runs to push their lead to 13-4. Dixie State came back with three in the eighth and two more in the ninth, but could not overcome the deficit as the Cougars picked up the series-clinching win.

Porter finished 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored to go with his homer to lead the DSU offense, while Davison collected two hits and two runs scored.

Dixie State heads back out on the road for an eight-game trip to the Bay Area next weekend. The Trailblazers open the trip with a four-game series at Academy of Art on March 10-12, followed by a four-game set at Holy Names on March 15-17.

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Twitter: @oldschoolag

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.

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