One year ago, Dixie State and Fort Lewis College played a spirited seven-inning softball affair in Las Vegas.
FLC head coach Kira Zeiter remembers it well.
“I would expect nothing different here,” Zeiter said after the Red Storm’s doubleheader sweep.
Dixie State (33-8) beat FLC (21-19) 11-2 and 7-2 on Tuesday at Aspen Field on the FLC campus.
“It was great competition,” Zeiter said. “As a coach, I feel like we can play with anybody. This competition makes us better. They were just a little more consistent than us. It was good softball.”
Dixie State had four home runs and 15 hits in Game 1 on FLC starter Kiley Raica, who pitched a complete game and allowed 11 runs, nine earned.
FLC held 1-0 leads in both games: Jeovanna Rios hit her second career home run in the bottom of the second of Game 1; Myndee Thompson’s second-inning triple scored Missy Fundora in Game 2.
In the doubleheader, Hayley Bolyard was 4-for-6. Fundora was 3-for-8 with two runs scored. Rios doubled and homered. Adriana Rosthenhausler had two hits and a run batted in. Mariah Stuart had two hits and an RBI, and Kamali’i Peneku and Tehenia Telliano had hits.
Olivia Goldberg earned her first start in the circle for FLC in Game 2 and allowed seven runs, six earned, on 14 hits.
“To face pitching like that, that’s good preparation this weekend for Metro,” said Zeiter, whose Skyhawks will play Metro State in a pair of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday in Denver.
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