ST. GEORGE, Utah -- Sophomore third baseman Nicki Sprague threw a scare into No. 4-ranked Dixie State, hitting seventh-inning home runs to cut the lead to two runs in both games Saturday before the Red Storm held on for 3-1 and 6-4 wins. The teams also completed Friday's suspended game, with Dixie State winning 13-4 in five innings to clinch the outright 2015 Pacific West Conference softball championship.

Sprague hit a solo home run in the first game of the scheduled doubleheader, cutting the Dixie State lead to 3-1 with one out in the top of the seventh inning. The Cougars brought the potential tying run to the plate when Kayla Jimenez drew a two-out walk, but Red Storm pitcher Michelle Duncan finished off the complete-game two-hitter with a fly out to end the game.

In the second game, Sprague cut a 6-2 deficit in half with a two-out, two-run home run before Aryn Feickert closed out the victory by recording another game-ending fly out.

In the two-day, four-game series, Sprague went eight-for-12 with four runs and three RBIs as she took over the PacWest lead in slugging percentage (.732) and ranks second in batting average (.446) to Dixie State's Janessa Bassett, who went six-for-13 in the series to bring her season average to .453. Both teams have one PacWest doubleheader left in the regular season, with Azusa Pacific hosting Dominican on Monday, April 27, while Dixie State hosts Holy Names next Saturday, May 2.

Senior centerfielder Renae Chappelle joined Sprague by hitting safely in all four games of the series, going six-for-10 overall with two-hit games in the first and last games of the series.

The Cougars take a 27-26 overall record (12-17 PacWest) into Monday's 1 p.m. season finale against Dominican, while Dixie State (42-7 overall, 29-1 PacWest) now holds a five-game edge over second-place California Baptist heading into the final week of the regular season.