TUCSON, Ariz.—South Carolina outlasted Saint Francis, 3-1, in Saturday's final game of the NCAA Softball Championships here at Rita Hillenbrand Stadium, to move into the championship game of the Regional.
 
The Red Flash stranded 15 runners in the game, kept at bay by Jessica Elliott (16-9) and reliever Nickie Blue.
 
South Carolina (34-24) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Tiara Duffy led off with a single, moved to second on a walk to Mackenzie Boesel and came around on a single by Victoria Williams.
 
Saint Francis (49-11) loaded the bases in the first and second innings but SC pitcher Jessica Elliott  pitched out of each jam using strikeouts each frame.
 
The Red Flash also loaded the bases in the fourth and did not score, giving SFU a total of 11 runners stranded through four.
 
Boesel lifted a two-run home run off SFU starter Abby Trahan (15-4) in the fifth to stake the Gamecocks to a 3-0 lead.
 
Red Flash slugger Jordan Seneca, among national leaders with 23 home runs, walked four times, including in the sixth inning when SFU loaded the bases again.
 
But this time Saint Francis got on the board. SC shortstop Krystan White made a good play on a hard-hit ball by Madison Cabell, but dropped the ball for an error to miss a force at third.
 
Reliever Nickie Blue came on to earn a save, her fifth, by inducing a forceout to end the threat. It cost the Red Flash another trio of stranded runners. Blue gave up a hit in the seventh but struck out the final two batters to secure the victory.