PELLA - The road warriors from Xavier High School struck again Saturday night.

The Saints nipped Pella, 3-2, in the semifinals of the Class 4A regional softball tournament in Pella for their second straight victory on the road in the postseason.

Xavier blanked Vinton-Shellsburg, 3-0, in the regional quarterfinals Thursday night to begin the postseason.

Xavier (18-24) will face top-ranked Carlisle (35-6) in the regional finals Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Carlisle, with the winner earning a spot in the state tournament. Carlisle is located southeast of Des Moines, about a two-hour drive from Cedar Rapids.

Saturday's game against Pella was tied, 1-1, after seven innings. The Saints scored twice in the top of the eighth for a 3-1 lead and Pella responded with a single tally in the bottom of the eighth before Maria Steffen got the final out for Xavier.

Steffen tossed a complete game for the Saints. She allowed only five hits and one earned run, with two strikeouts and one walk.

Steph Wehr went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs for Xavier. Olivia Richards, Katie Langholz, Jamie Feltes and Hannah Williams also had two hits in the 10-hit attack.

Olivia Richards, Jenae Marshall and Feltes scored runs for the Saints. Charlotte Richards had a big RBI. Feltes and Wehr hit doubles.

Pella took a 1-0 lead in the third inning, but Xavier tied the game in the fifth. Pella finished with a 15-19 record.