STOCKTON, Calif. – The Humboldt State softball team pounded out eight runs on 10 hits and eliminated Sonoma State from the California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament in Saturday evening's 8-1 victory.
 
The Lumberjacks improved to 41-16 overall and will face the Otters of Cal State Monterey Bay in the first game of the championship round Sunday at 10 a.m. HSU will have to defeat Monterey Bay twice to defend its CCAA Tournament title.
 
"We made adjustments to Amanda Llerena and had another great game against her," said HSU Head Coach Shelli Sarchett. "Our intensity was up and we made the necessary shifts in the defense. We played with grit and played our game."
 
Katie Obbema got the start for the Jacks and fired four scoreless innings and allowed two hits in her team-leading 20^th win of the season.
 
HSU scored the game's first run on a Tiffany Hollingsworth double. The San Leandro, Calif., product's extra-base hit scored Hanna Holland who reached on a leadoff double in the first.
 
A five-run fourth inning put the game out of reach and allowed the Jacks to cruise to an easy win. Carly Perkins, Darian Harris and Holland each recorded RBI singles in the fourth to extend HSU's lead to 6-0.
 
Ancia Purdy plated the Seawolves' lone run in the fifth off reliever Madison Williams.
 
Williams logged three innings, fanned six and surrendered four hits.
 
The Jacks added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth en route to the win. Harris notched her third hit of the game, an RBI single, following a run scored on a wild pitch.
 
Amanda Llerena, the conference's co-Pitcher of the Year, lost her second-straight decision versus HSU. She gave up six runs on seven hits in 3.2 innings.
 
"Our girls know we can play with Monterey Bay," said Sarchett. "We plan on attacking their pitchers early and often. We have seen them six times now and we plan on going out there and doing our thing."