STEPHENVILLE, Texas – No. 1 California Baptist and No. 2 Tarleton State won their quarterfinal games to move on in the winner’s bracket while No. 4 Utah Valley and No. 5 Southern Utah survived the elimination games to advance to the Friday semifinal games.

The top two seeds of No. 1 California Baptist and No. 2 Tarleton State will have rematch their dramatic regular season finale from last weekend at 12 p.m. CT tomorrow as the winner will punch the first ticket to the championship game. No. 4 Utah Valley and No. 5 Southern Utah will battle to fight to stay alive at 3 p.m. CT with the winner taking on the loser between the Lancers and the Texans at 7 p.m. CT to decide the final championship spot.

Game 3 – No. 1 California Baptist 3, No. 4 Utah Valley 1 | Box Score

Miranda De Nava posted her league-leading 15^th complete game of the season in the first quarterfinal game versus Utah Valley, working the pitching circle for California Baptist all seven innings allowing just one unearned run on three hits and picking up five strikeouts. Ashlee Annett delivered the big hit early for the Lancers with a two-run double in the bottom of the first inning. Sydney Peterson supplied an insurance run for CBU with an RBI single in the sixth inning.

Game 4 – No. 2 Tarleton State 5, No. 6 Utah Tech | Box Score
 
Shelby Schultz led the Texans to a successful home defense after tossing a complete game one-hitter against Utah Tech, striking out eight Trailblazers. Four different Texans collected an RBI in the game, including Mikayla Wilson who went 2-for-3 with an RBI double in the first inning and scored two runs.

Utah Tech’s lone hit in the game left the ballpark as Baylee Howley broke Schultz’s no-hit bid and put the Trailblazers on the board with a two-run home run in the fourth inning.

Game 5 – No. 4 Utah Valley 5, No. 3 UT Arlington 1 | Box Score

The third complete game of the day belonged to Utah Valley’s Payge Armendariz who struck out six batters and didn’t allow a single earned run to UT Arlington, marking her third complete game of the season. Armendariz helped herself out at the plate by going 2-for-3 with a double. The Wolverines grew their 1-0 lead in the sixth inning with four insurance runs following a two-run double from Emma Haygood and a two-run single courtesy of Britney Moreno. Moreno finished the game 3-for-4 at the plate.

UT Arlington’s Mia McNulty went 2-for-3 with a double for the Mavericks and showed off her arm behind the plate, throwing out two Wolverine baserunners in the first inning.

Game 5 – No. 5 Southern Utah 14, No. 6 Utah Tech 5 (5 inn.) | Box Score

Southern Utah’s offense exploded for a season-high 14 runs off 13 hits from eight different Thunderbirds. The T-Birds got the scoring started early with six runs in the first inning, capped off by a two-run home run by Tawnie Mozeris. McKenzy Becerra added onto the lead the very next inning with a massive three-run home run to deep centerfield. Michaella Salvatierra went 4-for-4 in the game with an RBI and a team-high 3 runs scored. All nine Southern Utah starters recorded at least one run scored and seven Thunderbirds posted at least one RBI, led by Becerra’s five-RBI performance. Avery Nielson got the win in the pitching circle for Southern Utah, finishing out the last 2.1 innings without giving up a hit and striking out four Trailblazers.

Five different Trailblazers each recorded one hit in the game including Brooklyn Dowdle who drove in three runs with a bases-clearing double to left center in the bottom of the third.