IRVINE, Calif. – Three PacWest teams won on the first day of the 2018 NCAA Softball West Regional on Thursday, with California Baptist, Concordia and Dixie State all advancing to the winner’s bracket. No. 4 CBU beat No. 5 UC San Diego, 3-1, in the Chico regional. In the Irvine regional, No. 3 Dixie State beat No. 6 Cal State San Bernardino, 5-4, and No. 2 Concordia beat No. 7 Academy of Art, 3-0.
 
Dixie State and Concordia meet in a winner’s bracket game on Friday at 10 a.m. ART U faces CSUSB in an elimination game at 12:30 p.m. CBU plays No. 1 Chico State in the first game in Chico Friday at 11 a.m.
 
 

California Baptist 3 – UC San Diego 1
Box Score	CBU Recap

 
A three-run third inning proved to be all California Baptist needed, as Ciara Stapp threw a complete game three-hitter against UCSD. Stapp struck out six and walked one to earn the win to start CBU’s fifth-consecutive regional appearance. The Lancers scored three runs on four hits in the third inning, with Soraya Shahbazian hitting an RBI double down the left field line and Halle Rosario plating two with a single up the middle.
 

Dixie State 5 – Cal State San Bernardino 4
Box Score	Dixie State Recap	Press Conference

 
Dixie State scored early and held off a late rally to beat Cal State San Bernardino, 5-4. The Trailblazers started the game with plenty of offensive action, loading the bases with no outs in the first and scoring four runs in the frame. Janessa Bassett hit her second double in the fourth inning to extend the lead to 5-0. Cambria Hazel kept the Coyotes in check until the seventh inning, when a leadoff home run and a pinch-hit three-run home run cut the Dixie State cushion down to one. After a single, Alexis Barkwell came on in relief, and the runner was thrown out at second on a steal attempt. Another single and a walk put the go-ahead run on base, but a drive into the gap was run down by Bassett to clinch the win.
 

Concordia 3 – Academy of Art 0
Box Score	CUI Recap	ART U Recap	CUI Press Conference	ART U Press Conference

 
In the first NCAA postseason game for both programs, Concordia rode the 10^th shutout by PacWest Pitcher of the Year Callie Nunes to victory. Nunes allowed three hits and four walks, and totaled seven strikeouts in the complete game. Ryann Ferguson had an RBI single in the third and Amanda Gjertsen drove in two with a double off the center field wall in the fifth for the Eagles. Cecilia Lopez and Brooke Larsen each threw three innings for the Urban Knights, and Larsen added a double and a walk at the plate.