Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ARCATA, Calif. – In the top West Region softball weekend series, No. 8 Humboldt State powered past No. 15 UC San Diego to sweep the first set of contests on Friday afternoon.
 
Trailing 1-0 in the third inning, Andrea Chavez stroked a leadoff home run and Dani Randall added a three-run round-tripper as part of a seven-run Lumberjack at bat in a 9-2 opening victory. Tonya Walker drilled a three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth to put HSU on top for good to complete the sweep, 6-3, over the Tritons.
 
"These are games we need to win," said HSU head coach Shelli Sarchett. "These girls came out focused and determined to take two today and they weren't going to let anyone in their way."
 
Chavez and Julie Pena paced the HSU (39-11) winning offensive attack. In her final home series, senior Chavez went 4-for-5 with three runs and four RBIs. Pena equaled her teammate with a 4-for-5 day, two doubles and four RBIs.
 
Randall homered and doubled in the first game and added a double in the second contest to extend her hitting streak to 21 games.
 
The Jacks' sweep improved them to 23-7 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association and a virtual tie with Cal State Monterey Bay (20-6) atop the league standings. UC San Diego fell to 19-7.
 
Game 1: HSU 9, UCSD 2
 
The Jacks used its biggest run-scoring at bat of the season to pull away from the Tritons (30-11) in the opener.
 
After UC San Diego scratched out a single tally in the top of the third, Chavez connected for her second homer of the year over the left field fence to leadoff the home at bat. Walker drew a walk and Darian Harris singled, before Tiffany Hollingsworth doubled to right field to give HSU a 2-1 lead.
 
Randall stepped to the plate and produced the big blast on a 3-0 pitch and sent it screaming over the right center field barrier for the three-run homer. After an out, Hannah Williams and Pena both walked. With both runners on base, Chavez finished the scoring she started with a two-run single to right field to make it 7-1 HSU.
 
The Jacks outscored the visiting Tritons, 2-1, over the final four frames to complete a 9-2 win.
 
"It was nice to see Dre (Chavez) show some power and then Dani (Randall) kept us rolling with another big one," said the Jacks coach.
 
HSU saw seven of its nine hitters record hits with Chavez leading the way at 3-for-3.
 
The CCAA's Pitcher of the Week, HSU's Liz Perez allowed six hits and two earned runs, while fanning six over the seven innings to improve to 13-4 in the circle.
 
Game 2: HSU 6, UCSD 3
 
HSU led early and more importantly led late in the late contest.
 
In the home first, Walker drew a leadoff walk, Hollingsworth singled and Sarah Fox was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Pena followed by doubling into the left field corner to give HSU a 2-0 advantage.
 
The Tritons pushed across a single score in the third and two more runs in the top of the fourth to edge ahead, 3-2.
 
The visiting lead would not last even a half inning. Williams singled up the middle to start the bottom of the fourth and Chavez singled to right field to set the table for Walker's half-swing three-run homer to left field for a 5-3 home lead.
 
Pena made it an even half dozen HSU runs with a single past second base to plate Randall, who doubled, for a 6-3 HSU margin.
 
Katie Obbema (18-7) worked out of a fifth-inning jam and held UC San Diego scoreless over the final three innings for the pitching win.
 
"I was really happy to see Katie throw well. She, as well as the team, needed that. Tonya put the nail in the coffin with her insurance runs," said Sarchett.
 
Pena doubled and singled with three RBIs to go with Walker's three-run homer.
 
HSU completes its home schedule with 'Senior Day' on Saturday morning starting at 11 a.m. with the second twinbill of the weekend against UC San Diego.