IRVINE, Calif. – Dixie State earned its fourth trip to West Super Regional in the last five years by eliminating Concordia, and California Baptist was knocked out by top-seed Chico State to claim the second spot. Dixie State will host Chico State in the best-of-three series May 17-18, with the winner receiving a bid to the College World Series.
 
IRVINE REGIONAL
 
Dixie State 4 – Concordia 3
Dixie State won a one-run game over Concordia for the second-straight day, eliminating the Eagles to advance to the Super Regional. Jessica Gonzalez hit a grand slam in the third inning and Cambrie Hazel struck out eight in a complete game win.
 
Michelle Lieng singled up the middle in the second inning to put Concordia on the board. Callie Nunes loaded the bases in the third inning with a hit-by-pitch and two walks, setting Gonzalez up to hit the first pitch she saw over the centerfield fence to put the Trailblazers up, 4-1.
 
In the fourth inning, Concordia put runners on second and third with one out. The Trailblazers threw out a runner at home on a grounder to third, but Amanda Gjertsen came through with a single up the middle to score two and draw the Eagles within a run, 4-3. Gjertsen had five hits and three RBI in the regional.
 
Hazel retired eight-consecutive batters after that, until Gjertsen came up again and singled to third base with one out in the seventh. Hazel finished the game off with a strikeout and a groundout to shortstop, clinching it for the Trailblazers.
 
CHICO REGIONAL
 
Chico State 7 – CBU 2
Chico State scored late again against CBU, plating all of its seven runs after the sixth inning, to eliminate the Lancers and advance to the Super Regional.
 
Two errors helped CBU take a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning. Cheyann Tucker hit a hard grounder that the third baseman couldn’t handle, allowing Soraya Shahbazian to score. Shaye Felix then hit a soft grounder to first base and beat the defender to the bag, allowing Ali Subia to score.
 
Ciara Stapp, pitching her fourth-consecutive game, fell into trouble in the sixth inning, allowing five runs on four hits and two walks. The Wildcats added two more runs on a home run in the seventh inning. CBU put runners on in its final two at-bats, but couldn’t manufacture any runs for a comeback.