Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ARCATA –The title is theirs. Humboldt State's softball team won the California Collegiate Athletic Association championship outright on Saturday with two wins over UC San Diego (11-3, 5-3).
 
Sophomore Dani Randall continued her hot hitting with a two-run single in the sixth inning to break a 2-2 tie in the nightcap, and a bases-loaded triple in the opener. Randall was 8-for-12 in the four-game series with three home runs, a double, a triple and 12 RBI.
 
The secret to her scorching bat?
 
“I don't think much up there,” Randall said.  “You can't think about it too much. I just go up there. 'What do I have to lose?' That's my only mentality.”
 
She and her teammates have not had much to lose at all in the last two months. After starting the season at 11-9, the Jacks have since posted a 29-3 record. Their big bats have pushed them to a CCAA title, the top ranking in the West Region, and the sixth spot in the national poll.  It is HSU's first title since 2009 when it ended a streak of 10 conference titles in a row.
 
The Jacks (27-5 in the CCAA, 40-12 overall) head into the final week of the regular season with a six-game lead in the conference. UC San Diego (21-11 in league and 28-20 overall) remains in second. Humboldt will have the top seed at the CCAA tournament to be held in Stockton on May 3-5.
 
“We've rebounded from three to four years ago,” said HSU head coach Frank Cheek. “We had a national championship team, and then we went kerplunk. We strived for three years to get good pitching. We brought some people in, and they weren't good enough.  We brought in two freshmen this year and they are delivering. Plus we are getting pretty good support from the hitters. You hit 88 home runs and that's a lot of support. Our opponents are getting singles, and we're getting home runs. I'd rather have the home runs.”
 
The Jacks lead the nation with 88 home runs, but managed only one on Saturday, a two-run homer by sophomore Hannah Williams, her 14th of the season.
 
“I switched to swinging a heavier bat,” Williams said, explaining that for a stretch during the season she was too far in front of the pitches. “That's kind of slowed me down a bit. I have always swung hard but now it's swinging hard and it's meeting it at the exact right time. “
 
Another key hitter for the Jacks was junior Andrea Chavez who went 5-for-6 with three runs scored in the two games.
 
“Chavez went 3-for-3 in the first game, and that was key,” Cheek said. “Dani had a great series. She hit the ball hard. They kept it low on us so we hit the gaps instead of over the fences. It's the first time we ever swept UC San Diego. They swept us last year, and it wasn't even funny. We went down and took a beating. They have a long road trip this time.”
 
Humboldt's home stand continues next week with a four-game series with Cal State San Bernardino with doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday. Friday's first game begins at 1 p.m. and Saturday's at 11 a.m.