IRVINE, Calif. – The PacWest has three of the four teams remaining in the NCAA Softball West Regional that will play on Saturday for spots in the regional final series. Dixie State and Concordia advanced to the championship round of the Irvine Regional, and California Baptist stayed alive to face Chico State for the championship of the Chico Regional.  
 
Both regional championships begin at 11 a.m. on Thursday, with Dixie State and Chico State each needing one win to advance. Concordia and CBU need to beat their opponents twice.
 
IRVINE REGIONAL
 
Dixie State 3 – Concordia 2
A run in three-consecutive innings gave Dixie State a 3-2 win over Concordia in the first game of the Irvine Regional on Friday, putting the Trailblazers in position to return to the regional finals for the second-straight year.
 
Concordia opened the scoring in the second inning, loading the bases with consecutive singles and a walk. With two outs, a 1-2 pitch went past the catcher, allowing Kaley Palazzolo to come home. Kenzie Sawyer tied the game with a solo home run to right center in the fourth inning. In the fifth, Dani Bartholf led off with a single, advanced to second on a sac bunt, and then two wild pitches brought her around to give Dixie State the lead. In the sixth inning, Sawyer scored the eventual winning run on a sac fly to right center by Kori Gahn.
 
Concordia took a run back in the bottom of the sixth on a Palazzolo home run to center field. The Eagles left the tying run on first that inning and went down in order in the seventh. Cambrie Hazel earned the win for the Trailblazers, striking out seven in the complete game.
 
Academy of Art 6 – Cal State San Bernardino 1
Samantha Klune and Brenna Mitchell drove in five runs in Academy or Art’s first NCAA postseason win, which eliminated Cal State San Bernardino. Mitchell hit a two-run home run in the first inning, and Klune had an RBI single in the third and a two-run home run in the fifth.
 
Brooke Larsen earned the win in 3.2 scoreless innings of relief, allowing one hit and striking out five.
 
Concordia 4 – Academy of Art 2
Mckinsey Thorpe and Harvey led Concordia to a 4-2 win over Academy of Art in the second elimination game, setting up a rematch for the Eagles against Dixie State. Thorpe went 2-for-3 with two RBI, including the game-winner. Harvey threw 4.1 innings of scoreless relief, allowing only three hits and a walk.
 
ART U broke through against starter Callie Nunes  in the second inning when Brenna Youngquist singled to shortstop, scoring Larsen who led off the inning with a double. CUI answered with a two-out rally in the bottom of the inning, stringing together four-consecutive hits to take a 2-1 lead. Gabi Hirsch led off the third inning with a single for ART U, and was worked around the bases to score on a squeeze bunt to tie the game.
 
Harvey came on in relief at that point, and held the Urban Knights scoreless of the final four innings. Thorpe delivered the game-winning run with a two-out single on an 0-2 pitch. Amanda Gjertsen knocked in an insurance run with a single in the sixth inning on an eight-pitch at-bat.
 
CHICO REGIONAL
 
Chico State 3 – CBU 0
CBU 3 – UC San Diego 0
 
California Baptist was on the opposite end of two 3-0 games to stay alive in the Chico regional. The Lancers lost to Chico State in nine innings in a winner’s bracket game, and then blanked UC San Diego in an elimination game. CBU needs two wins against Chico State on Saturday to advance to the West Region finals.
 
Ciara Stapp was back in the circle for the Lancers and continued to dominate, holding Chico State to five hits and striking out five in the first eight innings. Haley Gilham matched her identically and the game was scoreless going into the ninth inning. An error and two hit batters loaded the bases with one out, and Ari Marsh drove a double to left center to score all three.
 
The scoreless streak continued into the next game against UCSD, with the Lancers going through five innings with no runs. The drought ended in the top of the sixth inning with three runs on three hits. Amanda Springstead doubled to left center and Caitlyn Lloyd singled down the left field line for the first two runs. Soraya Shahbazian singled down the left field line, plating Springstead with the third run. Stapp threw a complete game three-hit shutout, retiring 13-straight Tritons at one point of the game.