ST. GEORGE, Utah – The MSUB softball team took No. 12 Dixie State to extra innings in Game 1, eventually dropping it 3-2, before falling in five innings in Game 2, 9-0 Wednesday afternoon.
 
Senior Aubrey Conceicao was 2-5 in the two games. The second baseman was the only MSUB player with a hit in Game 2 on the day. In Game 1, Cori Gammon was 2-4 and Kelsey Devlin 2-3 as the pair combined for four out of the six total hits for the Yellowjackets. Emily Osborn had the other hit in Game 1, a single to right field. 

Montana State University Billings (3-6) finishes the series against Dixie 0-3, having also lost a game yesterday.
 
Game 1, (#13 Dixie State, 3, MSUB, 2 (8))
 
Game 1 featured a pitcher' duel between MSUB's Jessyka MacDonald and Dixie State's Michelle Duncan. Both held their respective opponents to just one run each through seven innings.
 
The Yellowjackets' first chance to score a run came in the fourth inning. Conceicao started MSUB with a single up the middle to reach first. Devlin singled into left field to advance the runner. Osborn was hit by a pitch to load the bases for MSU Billings. Jordyn Roark hit a fielder's choice to the pitcher, bringing in Conceicao from third for a run. MSUB wasn't able to score any more in the inning, bringing Dixie State (9-5) up to bat.
 
The No. 13 Red Storm also managed a run in the fourth inning. After a fly out and a strikeout, Sheila Gelter for DSU walked, bringing Brooklyn Beardshear to the plate. Gelter stole second, and Beardshear was able to bring her in from third on a single to left field. Marla Reiter popped up for the third out of the inning, but the score was tied 1-1.
 
Neither team managed any runs in the sixth or seventh innings, taking the game to the international tie-break rule, which places a runner in scoring position for each team in the subsequent innings. MSUB added a run to the scoreboard after Cameron Cassinelli came in to pinch hit, hitting a sac fly into left, scoring a runner. However, Dixie State was able to answer back with two runs. The Red Storm advanced the runner on second with a sac bunt. Gelter walked next, placing runners on second and third. Beardshear brought in her second runner of the game on a sac fly to left, evening the score at 2-2.  Reiter then hit a walk-off single into left field scoring the winning run.
 
"In Game 1 today, Mac pitched an awesome game," MSUB head coach Lisa Allen said. "Our defense played really well and our offense hit the ball harder. Dixie had one more timely hit to win the ball game, but it was a great battle."
 
MacDonald (1-2) pitched 7 2/3 innings allowing six hits, two earned runs, facing 27 batters, and finishing the game with eight strikeouts.
 
Duncan (6-0) pitched a solid eight innings for Dixie State, allowing six hits with one earned run, facing 28 batters, and striking out four.
 
Game 2 (#12 Dixie State 9, MSUB, 0)
 
The Yellowjackets lost their momentum from the first game, batting just one hit in Game 2 as the Red Storm finished with nine runs on nine hits, ending the game in shortened innings.
 
MSUB left just two runners on base. Conceicao hit a single in the top of the fourth, and Taylor Doran walked to land on first at the top of the fifth inning.
 
Dixie State had two home runs and a double in the game. The Red Storm scored five runs to jump out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning and continued to add to the total in subsequent innings.
 
Beardshear (1-2) was credited with the win, while Amanda Roark (1-2) picked up the loss for MSUB.
 
"In Game 2, we didn't recover well from the loss, and Dixie outplayed us," Coach Allen said. "They made adjustments early at the plate and played very well on defense. We need to learn to bounce back after a loss on the same day.
 
"Dixie State is a great team," Allen continued. "They make it to the postseason consistently, and this was a good experience for our team. We played them very well 2 of the 3 games. We are looking forward to a little bit of practice to fine-tune our mechanics and then we will be back out on the road next Thursday."
 
MSU Billings heads to Nampa, Idaho next week for the College of Idaho/NNU Classic. The Yellowjackets open the tournament with a game against Concordia (Ore.) on Friday, Feb. 27 at 10 a.m.