SALEM, Va. – Clinging to a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the seventh, Dixie State got a huge double play to erase the tying base runner and thwart a West Chester rally as the Red Storm eliminated the Golden Rams from the Division II Softball Championship in Salem, Va., 4-3.
Dixie State starter Aryn Feickert improved to 21-6 after permitting two earned runs on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts over five frames. Michelle Duncan picked up the save for DSU, working two innings of two-hit ball in relief. For West Chester, Kim Murl (24-12), who threw 274 pitches over 14 innings of work on Saturday, proved the hard-luck loser after allowing four earned runs on nine hits with a pair of free passes and four K’s over a complete game.
Red Storm leadoff hitter Nicole Chavez did her job well going 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a HR and an RBI, while center fielder Courtney Hine (1-for-4, double), right fielder Courtney Sherwin (2-for-4, double) and designated player Autumn Woodfall (3-for-4, double) each knocked in a run. Third baseman Laura Altenburger (1-for-3, three RBIs) provided the big blow for West Chester with a three-run blast in the bottom of the sixth.
“We had a lot of visits over the last two days,” Dixie State head coach Randy Simkins said. “After you win 27 straight (and lose), you take time to evaluate if you’re really doing what you need to do at this level. The kids came out a lot more focused today, swinging the bats a lot better. We put some runs on the board and put some pressure on them early. That was one of our goals, to score early and make them have to play from behind. Aryn (Feickert) threw the ball extremely well, and Dunc’s (Michelle Duncan) has been nails for us for a long time.”
Dixie State’s offense wasted no time jumping in front during its elimination contest against West Chester by registering two runs in the top of the first. Chavez christened the frame with a base knock back through the middle, quickly reaching scoring position via a stolen base. With one down, Sherwin hammered an RBI double to the wall in right center as Chavez scored easily to make it 1-0. A walk to first baseman Sheila Gelter stationed a pair aboard, setting the stage for an RBI single to left center from Woodfall as DSU nabbed a 2-0 advantage.
The Red Storm lead expanded to three in the top of the second as Chavez stepped into the batter’s box with two outs and cranked a solo HR over the left field wall.
West Chester’s offense sparked to life during the bottom of the second against Feickert as a single by catcher Erin Quense and a two-out double from right fielder Kim Begley got the Golden Rams in business with two in scoring position. Left fielder Megan Kelly walked to load the bases for shortstop/leadoff hitter Jessica Norris. She battled Feickert over a 10-pitch at-bat before driving a promising fly ball into the right center field gap. Dixie State center fielder Courtney Hine raced over quickly and made a catch on the run to end the threat.
The Dixie State advantage improved in the top of the fourth as a leadoff single by third baseman Brooke Budge, a two-out walk and a clutch RBI double from Hine plated one to make it 4-0.
For the first time since the second frame, West Chester finally managed a threat against Dixie State’s Feickert in the sixth with some assistance from the Red Storm defense. Second baseman Jessica Schuck started the inning by drawing a walk. Murl stepped into the box and lifted a shallow fly ball to left center that was dropped for an error by Kristie Johnson, placing two aboard with still no one retired. Altenburger stepped to the plate and excited many of the crowd in attendance by blasting a three-run HR to left as the Golden Rams clawed back within one at 4-3. A base knock that fell into right center from baseman Jillian Murray ended Feickert’s stint in the circle as a call was made to the bullpen, summoning in Duncan to face a save situation. Quense greeted her immediately with an infield hit, stationing two aboard with still no one retired. Just when it seemed like the Golden Rams would perhaps tie the contest or take the lead, however, a failed sacrifice on a popped-up bunt, a foul out to right and a groundball to second ended the frame with DSU still ahead by a single tally.
Needing just one tally to tie the game, West Chester got a vital leadoff single to right from designated player Kelly Anderson in the top of the seventh. Unfortunately for the Golden Rams, they crucially failed with the sacrifice for the second time in the contest as the bunt was popped up in front of the plate. Dixie State catcher Marla Reiter made the catch and fired to first to complete a stunning double play. Murl followed with a hard chopper back to the pitcher as DSU held on for the 4-3 triumph.
