ST. GEORGE, Utah (NCAA) –

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                Lauren Folta (Erda. UT/Tooele High School) and Brittnie Whipple combined to scatter seven hits for the Red Storm (38-10), who advanced to Sunday's championship game of the tournament. Hawaii Pacific (41-11) dropped into the consolation bracket.

                McFarland's home run followed a Shantae Hunter (Idaho Falls. ID/Idaho Falls High School) single. The Red Storm added a third run in the inning when Haley Schumers (Plain City. UT/Freemont High School) doubled and Kelsey Mendenhall (Tooele. UT/Tooele High School) followed with a single.

                McFarland said the quick start was a bit of payback for the Sea Warriors, who beat the Red Storm three times in Pacific West Conference play, including once in St. George. “We all wanted to be ready to play and we were.”

                Of her home run McFarland said, “I'm not sure what it was. I was waiting for the right pitch. It might have been a curve ball but it didn't curve.”

                Folta pitched out of several of jams, including bases-loaded situations in the first and second innings. Whipple pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning.

                “I just knew my defense has got my back,” Folta said of those innings. “My defense did a great job.” She noted that Schumers made a couple of outstanding plays and that Katlyn Peters had an important diving catch in left field.

                “Everyone was just so good,” Folta said of her defensive teammates.

                Whipple didn't allow a hit in her two innings of relief.

                The Red Storm had 15 hits. Schumers led the way with three while Hunter, McFarland, Mendenhall and Breanna Egge (Las Vegas. NV/Centennial High School) had two each.

                Dixie State added two insurance runs in the seventh inning. McFarland started things with a single. Schumers had a double and Mendenhall added another single.

                “How about that?” asked Dixie State coach Beth Collett when asked her thoughts about reaching the regional championship game. “We set out the whole year that this is where we want to be.”

                                “We worked on every part of our game and we're ready to go,” Collett said of the break from competition. “We'd like to freeze where we are today and pick it up right there.”

                Dixie State will play the winner of the consolation bracket at noon on Sunday with a berth in the Super-Regionals on the line.