ST. GEORGE, Utah – Up until the sixth inning it was anyone's game as neither side could find a way to break though, but it was Dixie State that scored a half-dozen runs in the sixth inning for the 6-0 shutout over the Montana State University Billings softball team on Tuesday at Karl Brooks Field.
 
MSUB (3-4) started the game with three hits in the first inning. Bella Rovens hit a single, followed by singles from Taylor Hoke, and Brittney Sanders, but the team couldn't push across any runs and left two stranded.
 
The score remained zeros until the bottom of the sixth inning. A hit by pitch and three walks with the bases loaded advanced a run to home, breaking the stalemate for the game and giving No. 3 Dixie State University (7-5) the first run on the scoreboard.
 
Another walk added a run and kept the bases loaded. With two outs, a pitching change brought in Jessyka MacDonald for MSUB. Dixie State continued to capitalize with the bases loaded as Janessa Basset hit a single through the right side scoring two runs. She then stole second to put runners on second and third. Now leading 4-0, DSU's Nicole Chavez made it to first on an error by the shortstop, scoring the runners on second and third. The Yellowjackets made it out of the inning when the next batter hit a line drive back to the shortstop, but the damage had been done. With six runs scored in the sixth inning, the Red Storm held the Yellowjackets scoreless in the seventh inning to end the game.
 
The Yellowjackets finished the game with six hits while holding Dixie State to three. Jordyn Roark went 1-1 pinch hitting, and the freshman was the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game. The MSUB one-through-five batters all had a hit on the day, as Rovens, Cori Gammon, Hoke, and Aubrey Conceicao each were 1-3.
 
Megan Dettling (1-1) pitched 5 2/3 innings, facing 17 batters, allowing two hits, striking out five, but walking six batters for four earned runs, and was credited with the loss.
 
Basset was the big hitter for the Red Storm as the senior was 2-3 with two RBIs, one run and a walk. She also stole two bases.
 
Michelle Duncan (5-0) pitched a shutout in seven innings, giving up six hits with two strikeouts and no walks.
 
"Our pitching staff and defense did very well today holding Dixie scoreless through five," MSUB head coach Lisa Allen said. "The sixth inning was rough, but we can definitely learn from it. Offensively we weren't able to get the bats going and we didn't string the hits together after the first inning. As a team we will learn from today and make tomorrow better."
 
Wednesday the Yellowjackets play a doubleheader against Dixie, starting at 3 p.m. Pacific Time.