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Weber State's Sadie Kirk (5) smiles after passing head coach Kristin Delahoussaye during her home run trot during a Big Sky tournament game against Sacramento State on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Greeley, Colo.

Greg Merrill, for WSU Athletics

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Weber State's Olivia Birkinshaw swings at a pitch during a Big Sky tournament game against Sacramento State on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Greeley, Colo.

Greg Merrill, for WSU Athletics

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Weber State's Sadie Kirk (5) celebrates during her home run trot in a Big Sky tournament game against Sacramento State on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Greeley, Colo.

Greg Merrill, for WSU Athletics

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Weber State softball players celebrate after defeating Sacramento State in a Big Sky tournament game Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Greeley, Colo.

Greg Merrill, for WSU Athletics

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Weber State's Mariyah Delgado readies to hit during a Big Sky tournament game against Sacramento State on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Greeley, Colo.

Greg Merrill, for WSU Athletics

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A resilient No. 3 Weber State softball team overcame early miscues and a late missed call to rally back from down 7-2 to defeat No. 2 Sacramento State 8-7 on Thursday morning in a Big Sky tournament second-round game in Greeley, Colorado.

A tough Jayci Finch took over a struggling circle and pitched six innings for the win, allowing three earned runs on eight hits while striking out seven and walking one.

Trailing 7-3 in the sixth, WSU’s Taegan Smith tripled home Riley Whalen and Jordan McMahon to make it 7-5. Emma Bingham singled in Smith for a 7-6 margin. Abby Grundy ended the top half of the frame flying out to the fence in left-center, just missing a go-ahead homer.

Sac State catcher Katie Marsh led off the bottom of the sixth with a double but Finch quickly cleaned up the Hornets after that, keeping the Wildcats one run away.

Though Olivia Birkinshaw walked to lead off the top of the seventh, WSU recorded two quick outs to put the Wildcats against the wall. But McMahon reached via error on a grounder to the shortstop and Whalen appeared to have put Weber in the lead. Whalen slapped a blooper down the left-field line and, replays showed, the ball landed squarely on the line in fair territory.

But it was called foul and WSU had no challenges remaining. No worry for Whalen, who got back in the box and drove a more convincing triple into the left-center gap on the next pitch, scoring both runners for an 8-7 lead.

Finch surrendered a leadoff single to Gwen Ludwig. A wild pitch pushed the tying run into scoring position but Finch struck out the next two batters swinging to punctuate Weber State’s comeback.

Smith hit 3 for 4 with two RBIs and was a homer short of the cycle. Whalen and Sadie Kirk each had two hits and two RBIs. Trailing 7-2, Kirk began the comeback in the fifth by launching a solo home run.

Cali McCraw got the start for Weber State but allowed a two-run homer to Marsh. McCraw misplayed a popped bunt that went over her head to score a run and Sac State led 3-0 after one inning.

After McCraw gave up a leadoff single in the second, WSU replaced her with RJ Parra who walked a batter, then fielded a bunt and threw it into right field for a run-scoring error to put the Hornets up 4-0.

Finch then took over. After a walk loaded the bases, Finch struck out Marsh and retired three straight to get out of the jam before the score got away from the Wildcats, a sequence that proved as key as the late offensive rally.

The win keeps Weber State out of the early rounds on the one-loss side of the bracket. The Wildcats advance to play No. 1 Idaho State in the winner’s bracket semifinals. That game, originally slated for 5:30 p.m. when the day began, started much later in the night.

After WSU’s rally, No. 4 Northern Colorado eliminated No. 6 Montana with a 19-9 victory. No. 2 Sac State readied to face No. 5 Portland State in another elimination game.