Dixie State Postgame Press Conference

ST. GEORGE, Utah – No. 2 Dixie State made quick work of No. 7 Central Washington on Sunday, beating the Wildcats 8-0 in five innings to win the West Regional title. The Red Storm advance to face Cal State Monterey Bay in the West Super Regional, with the winner earning a bid to the NCAA Championship. 

Dixie State earned its second Super Regional appearance since 2009, when it beat Cal State Stanislaus in three games to make the first Division II Championship in program history. The Red Storm will host No. 1 CSUMB in the best-of-three series Friday and Saturday. Game one is Friday at 3 p.m. MDT, with game two on Saturday at 1 p.m. A third game will follow on Saturday if necessary.

The Red Storm collected 14 hits in the five innings, with Courtney Hine hitting two home runs and driving in five. Courtney Sherwin was 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs.

Michelle Duncan earned her third victory of the regional by shutting out a team that had collected 21 runs and 34 hits in the three previous games. She needed only 62 pitches to dispatch the Wildcats.

Wind gusts in excess of 30 MPH created a far different atmosphere from the previous two days. After coming from behind in the first two games, the Red Storm struck early with two runs in the first inning. Hine drilled a solo home run over the center field wall and Sheila Gelter drove in another with a double down the left field line. The momentum continued in the second when Hine came to the plate with the bases loaded and hit a line drive just over the centerfielder's glove, extending the lead to 6-0.

Two more runs crossed in the fourth inning on a Sherwin single and a throwing error by the Wildcats, setting up Dixie State with a chance to close it out early. In the bottom of the fifth, CWU put the lead-off runner on but could not advance anyone past second base, sealing the victory for Dixie.