TWIN FALLS - Attempting to reach its first Region 18 tournament championship game since 2007, it took a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to derail the North Idaho College softball team on Friday at the College of Southern Idaho.

NIC sophomore Shelby Carter hit a grand slam with two outs in the top of the seventh inning as the Cardinals rallied from a 3-1 deficit to take a 5-3 lead. In the bottom of the seventh, Gabby Stacey led off with a single and Region 18 Player of the Year Lea Hopson homered to right center field to tie the game for CSI.

After a groundout, Aubrey Whitmer singled and Sierra Whitmer followed with a two-run home run, lifting top-seeded Southern Idaho past the fifth-seeded Cardinals 7-5 in a loser-out game.

NIC, which lost in a semifinal game to Salt Lake 7-1 earlier on Friday, finishes 24-35.

Freshman Shanika Sawyer led off the second inning with a home run for NIC.

CSI (50-10), the Scenic West Athletic Conference champions, avoided elimination three times on Friday, beating Western Nevada 7-2 in the first game on Friday and then beating Snow 5-4 in nine innings to advance to play NIC.

CSI will face Salt Lake in the championship game today, with the Golden Eagles needing to win twice to advance to the NJCAA tournament May 15-18 in St. George, Utah.

SOUTHERN IDAHO 7, NORTH IDAHO 5

North Idaho 010 000 4 - 5 7 3

Southern Idaho 012 000 4 - 7 8 2

One out when winning run scored.

Emily Perlich and Shelby Carter; Brandi Hall, Nellie Makings (7) and Averie Schroeder. W - Makings (16-5). L - Perlich (16-18).

HITS: NIC - Bishop, Hatton, Carter, LaVaute, Sawyer, Tinoco, Parson. CSI - Stacey, Hopson 2, S. Whitmer 2, A. Whitmer, Carlton. 2B - Hopson, Carlton. HR - Carter (19), Sawyer (6), Hopson (14), A. Whitmer (10), S. Whitmer (7).

Salt Lake 7, North Idaho 1: Maddie Woodard and Lynsey Healey had three RBIs each as the Bruins (47-9) beat the Cardinals (24-34) to advance to today's Region 18 tournament championship game.

Salt Lake opened the scoring in the first inning on a two-run double by Woodard, who came around to score on an error. With two out in the fourth, Healey's two-run single gave the Bruins a 6-0 lead.

Desirae Tinoco had a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning to score Amber Meyers, who had two hits in the game for NIC.

MaCauley Flint, who was named the Region 18 Pitcher of the Year, allowed four hits over seven innings for Salt Lake.

SALT LAKE 7, NORTH IDAHO 1

North Idaho 000 010 0 - 1 4 2

Salt Lake 300 301 x - 7 11 0

Emily Perlich and Shelby Carter; MaCauley Flint and Susan Duke. W - Flint. L - Perlich (16-17).

HITS: NIC - Bishop, Meyers 2, Sawyer. SLCC - Williams 3, Woodard 2, Healey 3, Tann, Hager, Kirschner. 2B - Meyers, Woodard, Healey.