Box Score STOCKTON, Calif. – Dani Randall joined the gunslinger club on Saturday as Humboldt defeated Sonoma State 4-2 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association softball championships.
 
A bloop single by slapper Danielle D'Eccliss in the top of the seventh almost landed in Randall's lap at the edge of the infield. D'Eccliss saw Randall on her knees and decided to stretch the single to a double.
 
Bad decision.
 
“When my teammates were saying, 'going two, going two' I was excited,” Randall said. “I was, like, 'go ahead, go two' because I'm going to throw it. I was so glad it was a good throw where (Megan) Wink could just tag the girl. It felt really good.”
 
The bullet from Randall stifled a potential rally with slugger Ali Palermo coming up later in the inning. Palmero already had a two-run home run to account for Sonoma State's runs. The Humboldt State outfield has 19 assists on the season – five from Randall.
 
“It cost them,” said HSU head coach Frank Cheek. “Randall threw if from her knees, and it had to be perfect. This has become a seasoned ball club in many ways. In the early part of the year we couldn't make that play.”
 
One play that has been there all year for the Jacks is the long ball. Humboldt added three more to its resume, bringing its nation-leading total to 103. Chrissy Stalf, as usual, was among the sluggers. She hit a two-run homer in the second with first base open, a runner at second and two out. It was her 26th of the year – another nation-leading stat. The NCAA record for home runs in a season is 28.
 
“If they don't pitch to me, batters two through nine can hit home runs,” Stalf said. “Everyone can hit a home run on our team. I was looking for a fatty, and it was a good pitch. It was outside and I drove it.  I was thinking outside and I stepped into it.”
 
The win puts Humboldt (46-12 overall) into the championship game at noon on Sunday. The Jacks will have to lose twice in order to not win the tournament championship. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio 1340 AM. In the championship game Humboldt State will be the home team and play UC San Diego. The Tritons defeated Sonoma State 8-6 in a wild game that featured six pitchers and 33 base runners. UC San Diego defeated CSU Dominguez Hills 3-2 to advance to the game against the Seawolves.
 
“We're sitting in the driver's seat,” Cheek said. “And we should host the West Region with that win. We have beaten anybody that's anybody. And now we can relax. The other guys have to fight their way back. We don't care who we play. We said we have to beat them all when we came here. And that is what we intend to do.”
 
Tonya Walker and Courtney Hiatt also had home runs for the Lumberjacks. Hiatt was 2-for-3 and has a 10-game hitting streak. Katie Obbema (25-3) worked out of several jams but got the complete game win.
 
Sonoma (36-18 overall) put pressure on the Jacks in the late innings, getting eight hits in the last three innings. But one runner was erased trying to steal, and Randall's throw choked off another potential rally.
 
“I think we are sitting comfortably now,” Stalf said. “We got our nerves out during the first game. If we do well at this, we will go into regionals feeling comfortable. We came in nervous as a team, and now we're fine. The nerves are out.”