Box Score ARCATA – Two heavyweight hitting teams went toe-to-toe, but it was defense that provided the knockout blow as Humboldt State's softball team defeated Saint Martin's 6-5 in NCAA West Region play on Saturday.
 
And there will be a rematch. Humboldt will play Saint Martin's in the championship game on Sunday at noon. The Saints defeated Grand Canyon 8-5 to earn the trip to the title game.
 
With the Jacks leading by a run against Saint Martin's in the top of the sixth, SMU's Taylor Bakos tried to score the tying run from second on a bloop single to left just over the head of HSU shortstop Andrea Chavez.
 
Nothing doing.
 
Chavez scooped it up and fired a strike to Courtney Hiatt for the third out.
 
“That play by Chavez throwing that runner out at the plate,” said HSU head coach Frank Cheek. “Their coach (Rick Noren) walked by me and said, 'I didn't think she could make the play. I didn't think she could make the play.' Well, she made the play.”
 
Another defensive standout for the Jack was on the opposite side of the infield. Second baseman Megan Wink began the game diving into the hole to stop a potential base hit, then in the seventh inning with one on and one out, she and Chrissy Stalf pulled a double-double – two dives on the same play to get out Joselyn Eugenio. Stalf dived to stop the ground ball, then Wink had to dive toward first to get the flip from Stalf and beat the runner.
 
“I had to do like a sliding tag at first,” Wink said. “I was ready to dive for another ball. Chrissy dove before me and got that ball. We had great communication before the play. To be honest I'm not the strongest hitter on the team, so I have to pick it up twice as much on defense. So I am ready to sacrifice everything I have on defense.”
 
SMU's center fielder Taviah Jenkins put on a show in centerfield, making circus catches all game, culminating with a sprint and all out dive in right center to rob Hannah Williams of extra bases with two on and two out in the bottom of the sixth.
 
But don't let all that defense fool you. There was still plenty of offense.
 
Dani Randall led off the bottom of the third with a towering drive that seemed to be still rising as it soared over the scoreboard in left field and into the forest.  It was her 12th home run of the season. Saint Martin's also had some punch, with both Dani Wall (4) and Jenkins (6) hitting two-run homers to help the Saints stay in the game.
 
“I knew I messed up the inning before when I could have gotten a ball at the fence (that went for a double),” Randall said. “I was feeling pretty bad about it. So when I came up to bat I knew I have to make it up. I think I let all my energy just go into that at-bat. It felt good.”
 
“Those were her marching orders,” Cheek said with a smile and a chuckle. “Hit the ball over the fence. That's her job.”
 
Starter Katie Obbema gave up two hard hit balls to start the second inning – a double and a home run – so Cheek went to Lizzie Perez in relief for the second day in a row. Perez, after not pitching for almost two weeks, recorded her second win in as many days (19-5). The loser was SMU ace Sam Munger (24-8) who also entered the game in relief during the second inning.
 
“Perez was on it much more,” Cheek said. “Obbema has done a lot for us over the season. You've got to give credit to Perez. She did a good job.”
 
Perez pitched six innings, allowing an unearned run in the third and a monster two-run homer to Jenkins in the sixth. Jenkins added two home runs in the win over Grand Canyon on Saturday.
 
“I haven't been to a regional championship game for awhile,” Cheek said. “We're in the driver's seat.”
 
Grand Canyon defeated UC San Diego 8-3 to earn the rematch against Saint Martin's before losing again to the Saints 8-5.
 
Humboldt will have to be beaten twice on Sunday to lose the championship. The winner of the West Region advances to a best-of-three Super Regional beginning next Friday against the winner of the regional being hosted by Dixie State in St. George, Utah.
 
Cal St. Dominguez Hills will play Dixie State on Sunday in that regional championship game. If Humboldt wins on Sunday, it will have to travel to the Super Regional despite being the top seed in the region. HSU could not put in a bid to host Super Regionals since the Humboldt State commencement scheduled for May 18 has filled all the local hotels.