ARCATA – Humboldt State's Lizzie Prescott pitched a four-hitter as the Lumberjacks eliminated Cal State San Bernardino from the 2008 NCAA West Regional Softball Tournament Friday evening, 5-1.
Prescott struck out nine and walked only one as she picked up the 41st win of her season and improved the host Lumberjacks to 50-18 on the season.
The Coyotes, who rallied from an 8-2 deficit to beat Seattle University, 10-8, in an elimination game earlier in the day, were their own worst enemy in this contest, committing an uncharacteristic six errors which led to three unearned runs.
CSUSB finishes the season 36-32-1 but made history by being the first Coyotes softball team to advance to the post-season, finishing second in the CCAA Conference championship tournament and drawing the No. 8 seed for a first-ever appearance in an NCAA regional.
It was the 10th time this season that the Coyotes have played Humboldt State, the regular season CCAA champions and ranked No. 1 in the West Region. This victory was the 'Jacks sixth against four losses.
CSUSB had won the previous two meetings – eliminating the 'Jacks from the conference tournament with a come-from-behind 8-7 win last week and then whipping them 10-1 in the NCAA regional opener on Wednesday.
The lone Coyotes run in the game came when freshman
Jacquelyn Holtzclaw doubled to lead off the fifth, moved to third on a sacrifice by
Tayler Wilson and scored on
Jordan Dahl's single.
Prescott retired the the last seven batters in a row to nail down the victory to make her 2008 record 41-11. She was the CCAA Pitcher of the Year and the coach's all-West Region first team pitcher.
In the first game of the day, Dahl drove in two runs and
Jamie Lowe drove in the winning runs as CSUSB ralled from an 8-2 deficit to beat Seattle University.
Tawni Baker (11-8) earned the win with three innings of shutout pitching, allowing just one hit.
Humboldt will face Cal State Dominguez Hills at 11 a.m. Saturday and the winner will meet Western Oregon in the championship game at 2 p.m.
