Softball John Potter, Media Relations Assistant

Dixie State falls, 5-0, to North Georgia in National Championship

Storm season ends with 52-8 overall record

OKLAHOMA CITY – After going through the tournament unscathed, Dixie State softball fell short of the final prize, falling to the University of North Georgia, 5-0, on Monday as the Nighthawks secured their first NCAA national championship and ended the Storm's season.
 
This season marked Dixie State's (52-8) third appearance in the Division II Softball Championships and their first appearance in the title game. The Storm's 52 overall wins is the highest in program history and marks the second straight year with over 50 wins.
 
Senior Michelle Duncan (Gilbert, AZ/Gilbert High School) took her lone loss of the season in the circle (31-1), throwing 1.2 innings in her final career game. Duncan ends her Dixie State career with 75 wins, which ranks first in school history.
 
Junior Aryn Feickert (Lancaster, CA/Highland ) pitched 4.1 innings in relief for the Red Storm, allowing one run on one hit to keep UNG within reach.
 
Duncan, along with teammate sophomore infielder Josey Hartman (Mapleton, UT/Maple Mountain) and freshman outfielder Janessa Bassett (Stansbury Park, UT/Stansbury Park) were named to the NCAA Division II Softball Championship All-Tournament Team.
 
North Georgia (54-8) won its first title in its NCAA tenure with timely hitting combined with a season-high five Dixie State errors. Blend that with a two-hit, four-strikeout effort from NFCA Player of the Year Courtney Poole in the circle earned the junior her 47th win on the year.
 
After a scoreless first, UNG posted four runs on five hits aided by two DSU miscues in the bottom of the second inning. The opening error turned an RBI single from Meredith Heyer into a two-run play. A throwing error from third base brought home the Nighthawks' fourth run and extended the inning for Tiffanie Burns to add a two-out RBI hit.
 
Feickert's lone hit given up was a RBI double to Heyer in the bottom of the 5th that added further insurance for North Georgia.
 
Hartman had a solid double in the Storm's half of the fifth, but Poole buckle down to retire the final eight batters consecutively. In the final frame, Poole induced three groundouts to wrap up the game and the title. The junior pitcher was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Championship.
 
Fans wishing to welcome back the national runner-up Red Storm can do so Tuesday, May 26 when Dixie State returns to Karl Brooks Field in St. George at approximately 10:30 a.m. MT.