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Box Score: Sonoma State 5, #8 UC San Diego 2

STOCKTON, Calif- Five runs and 14 hits later, the Sonoma State softball team upset No. 8-ranked and top-seeded UC San Diego, 5-2, on day two of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Softball Championship Tournament on Saturday afternoon at Arnaiz Stadium in Stockton. Kayla Ledford and Danielle D'Eccliss went 3 for 4 while Ali Palermo had a solo home run to help the Seawolves improve to 35-20 this season. UC San Diego falls to 35-12.

It was the sixth straight win at the CCAA tournament for Sonoma State and will advance to Championship Sunday, beginning at Noon. The Seawolves will play UC San Diego again on Sunday, as the Tritons eliminated Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday night.

SSU starting pitcher Samantha Lipperd eclipsed the 300 strikeout mark this season, with five against the Tritons on Saturday -- she now has 302.

Sonoma State got off to a quick start with two consecutive hits by D'Eccliss and Ledford before they both advanced into scoring position on a successful sacrifice bunt by Skylynn Myers. However, UC San Diego's Camille Gaito, who was named the CCAA Pitcher of the Year earlier this week by the conference office, got out of the jam.

It wasnt until the fourth when a run finally crossed the plate -- a solo home run over the left field fence by Palermo. The Tritons punched right back with two runs in the bottom of the fourth with a RBI double from Rhiannon Ousley and a RBI single by Taylor Sepulveda to lead 2-1.

The Sonoma State offense didn't quit, though, as Ledford hit a two-RBI single that scored Jesse Talaugon and D'Eccliss to put the Seawolves up 3-2. In the fifth, D'Eccliss singled to shallow center field that scored Brittanie Verissimo, who singled to right with one out. Then, up 4-2 in the seventh, SSU starting pitcher Samantha Lipperd got another insurance run on a suicide squeeze bunt by Palermo with runners on the corners, scoring Rochelle Vanyi from third.

In the bottom of the seventh, it was all Lipperd as she retired UC San Diego in order to secure the 5-2 win and a ticket to the championship game on Sunday. Lipperd (24-8) completed the complete game win, allowing just three hits and the two UCSD runs. She walked four and struckout five.

Ledford had three hits and two RBI while D'Eccliss had three hits and a RBI. Brittany Martinez, Jesse Talaugon and Palermo had two hits apiece. Sonoma State combined for 14 total hits against Gaito, who came into the game with a 0.51 ERA. The five earned runs given up by Gaito raised her ERA to 0.83 this season.

For tournament box scores and information regarding the CCAA Championship Tournament, click here.

The Seawolf Sports Network, Channel 2 will broadcast Sunday's championship game live, beginning a couple of minutes prior to the Noon start time. Click here for access to the live broadcast.