IRVINE, Calif. – The Dixie State softball team had to settle for a split in their opening doubleheader against the home team Concordia University on Friday. The Blazer offense could not get going in the first game. In the second game, they quadrupled their hit output and put up seven runs for the win.
GAME ONE
CUI 5, DSU 1
Concordia pitcher Grayson Harvey limited the Blazers to only two hits. Dixie State did get on the scoreboard first in the top of the second when the Blazers recorded their two hits. Kenzie Sawyer hit safely up the middle, then stole second. She would score from there when Shelby Yung hit a 3-2 pitch to right center for the RBI double.
DSU would only get one more runner on base the rest of the way courtesy of a walk. Harvey struck out seven of the last 12 Blazer batters and had 10 strikeouts total on the day.
CUI scored once in the bottom of the second and got the go-ahead run in the next inning. The Eagles put up three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Brooklyn Beardshear (13-5) took the loss, going five-plus innings, allowing three runs on 10 hits.
“(Harvey) was the pitcher of the year last year in our conference,” said Dixie State head coach Randy Simkins. “But we can swing the bats better than we showed. We challenged them to come back in the second game and play more aggressively at the plate.”
GAME TWO
DSU 7, CUI 4
In the second game, DSU made up for its lack of production in the first game. In the second inning, Brenna Hinck hit a three-run home run to right field. They added a run when Taylor Godfrey stole home in the fourth.
“We had a double steal called,” said Simkins. “But the player going to second is supposed to pull up so the runner at third can score. Bassett could have easily made it to second. She held up to force the rundown and score Taylor. And then she still got safely back to first base.”
The Eagles came charging back, scoring four runs over the next two innings. The Blazers went into the final inning tied. Josey Hartman started the seventh with a single up the middle. Janessa Bassett followed with her second base on balls for the game. Dani Bartholf’s bunt-sacrifice attempt popped up for the first out.
Yung then singled up the middle to score Hartman. Bailey Gaffin then singled to load the bases. Jessica Gonzalez sacrifice-flied to right field to score Bassett. Mallory Paulson then reached on a throwing error to score Yung before the Eagles got out of the inning.
Alexandria Melendez (9-4), who pitched in relief for Alexis Barkwell, picked up the win and retired the last three batters to close out the win.
Yung led the Blazers for both games in hits and went 4-6 on the day with two RBIs. Hinck also had multiple hits in game two. In all, the Blazers got seven runs on eight hits.
“Shelby (Yung) had a good day at the plate today,” said Simkins. “We need more players having good days, though, to beat good teams.”
With the split, Dixie State moves to 33-10 overall and 18-6 in the PacWest. Concordia moves to 30-12-2. The two teams will resume their series Saturday at noon Pacific Time.
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