BOX SCORE #24 Dixie State 3, Sonoma State 1 -- Box Score  |  Archived Video Broadcast

ST. GEORGE, Utah -- A fierce rally in the bottom of the seventh inning fell one base hit short as the Sonoma State softball team suffered a 3-1 loss to host Dixie State in an elimination game at the 2013 NCAA Division II Softball West 2 Regional on Saturday evening at Karl Brooks Field in St. George, Utah.  The Seawolves (37-21) see their 2013 season come to an end and four seniors -- Vanessa Currie, Danielle D'Eccliss, Samantha Lipperd and Ali Palermo -- finish their four-year careers as arguably the best class to ever come though the SSU softball program. 

The No. 2 seed Red Storm of Dixie State (39-13) advances to Championship Sunday to face the No. 6 seed Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros (36-21) at Noon MDT on Sunday.  The Red Storm, however, will have to defeat the Toros twice on Sunday to advance to the Super Regional next weekend.

Lipperd and the Seawolves would find themselves in another pitcher's duel, this time with Dixie State's Kate Coffey, but the Red Storm struck first in the fourth inning.  Courtney Hine led off the inning with a double, then moved to third on a flyout by Johnna Brown.  Bailee Freeland came in to run for Hine before Siera Phillips delivered an RBI single to give DSU the 1-0 lead.  In the top of the fifth, Dixie plated two more runs to take a 3-0 lead.

Meanwhile, Sonoma State couldn't get much going offensively against Coffey, but the bats woke up in the sixth when Currie led the inning off with a single.  After Palermo flew out, Holli Brown singled, then advanced to second when Currie went to third, drawing a throw from the outfield.  With runnners on second and third and one out, Coffey came up big, getting a strikeout and a groundout to end the threat.

In its last at bat, Sonoma put together another rally after Megan Konieczka singled to open the seventh.  She moved to second on a groundout by pinch-hitter Aubrie Tolliver.  Ancia Purdy delivered a single, which moved Konieczka to third and the Seawolves had runners on the corners with one out.  D'Eccliss singled to third base, but Konieczka was forced to stay at third.  It loaded the bases, still with one out, and Currie grounded out to Coffey, but it brought home a run to put SSU down by two runs at 3-1.  The groundout moved Purdy to third and D'Eccliss to second with Palermo at the plate.  However, on a 2-2 pitch, Coffey forced Palermo to groundout to end the inning and the Seawolves' season.

Lipperd (23-12) suffered the loss, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks, striking out three.  Despite the loss, Lipperd cemented herself as the best pitcher to ever come through Sonoma State, finishing her four-year career with a record of 101-41 and 1,090 strikeouts.  Purdy and Currie had two hits apiece for the Seawolves, who recorded eight hits against Dixie State's Coffee, who improved to 12-5.  Five different Red Storm players had one hit against Lipperd.