SAN BERNARDINO -- Defending national champion Humboldt State clinched the CCAA conference regular season title and the top seed for the conference tournament by handing host Cal State San Bernardino a pair of one-run losses Saturday, 5-4 and 8-7, on the final day of conference softball play. 
    The two teams will play a non-conference doubleheader Sunday at 9 a.m. the outcome of which may have a bearing on who hosts the NCAA West Regional next month. Humboldt State, currently ranked No. 2 behind Dixie State, would like to be the host. 
    The victories improved the Lumberjacks, currently No. 8 in the nation, to 36-15 on the season and finished CCAA play at 23-9, while the Coyotes are 22-34 overall and finished 13-19 in conference play. 
    HSU, Cal State Monterey Bay, Sonoma State and UC San Diego qualified for the CCAA tournament in Stockton next weekend. The Coyotes wound up in a tie for seventh with San Francisco State.
    In game one, the Lumberjacks eked out a 5-4 win as senior Ashley Oltjenbruns scored on a wild pitch in the top of the eighth after the Coyotes rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the bottom of the seventh on back-to-back home runs by Priscilla Curiel (a two-run shot) and Tori Beaudette (a solo blast) to tie the game at 4-4. 
    It was the second home run of the game for Curiel off Humboldt's ace pitcher Gracie Perez (17-5). That one tied the game at 1-1 until HSU took the lead back in the fifth on an RBI single by Lindsay Warren off starter Courtney Wilhelms. The 'Jacks added two more in the seventh on RBI singles by Warren and Francesca West. 
    In game two, Humboldt took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third on RBI singles by Natalie Galletly and West off starter Cassidy Lee. 
    The Coyotes then jumped on Humboldt pitcher Nichole Parada and reliever Jenna Anderson for six runs on six hits. Ashley Collinwood, Curiel and Beaudette each drove in two runs on singles in the uprising to take a 6-2 lead. 
    Humboldt came right back with four runs in the fourth on four hits with Galletly and Oltjenbruns each driving in a pair of runs on singles to tie the game a 6-6. 
    The 'Jacks went up 8-6 in the fifth, scoring two unearned runs on a Coyotes error on a routine ground ball that would have been the third out. CSUSB got a run back in the home half of the fifth with her second home run of the day to make it 8-7. 
    Galletly went 3-for-4 in the game for the 'Jacks with three RBI while Debbie Shisler (12-12) was 3-for-4 for CSUSB, but also was the losing pitcher in both games. Beaudette was 3-for-4 in the twinbill with two home runs and four RBI. Curiel was 4-for-8 with two homers and 5 RBI. 
    CSUSB now has 14 one-run losses this season. 
    Following the doubleheader five seniors were honored by Coyote Athletics and the coaches in a special ceremony -- Beaudette, Shisler, Jocelyn Perry, Rhiannon Treat and Felicia Shepler.