February 10, 2006

Box Score

Game1    Game2

Phoenix, AZ -- The defending CCAA Champion Cal State Dominguez Hills softball team began the 2006 season with a bang against Grand Canyon, using both the arm and bat of senior Jackie Miller (Bremerton, WA/CS Stanislaus) to take a 7-0 decision in the opener, and four Kate Groden (San Pedro, CA/SE Missouri University) RBIs and five GCU errors in taking a 6-4 decision in the nightcap. With the win, CSUDH improves to 2-0 to begin the season, while GCU falls to 2-6.

CSUDH started quickly in the opener as Cindy Perry-Brown (Victorville, CA/Silverado HS) reached on an Antelope error, and was brought home on a Groden RBI single one out later. The Toros had a chance to break the game open as they loaded the bases, but GCU hurler Farrell escaped further damage by striking out Jen Wilson (Oange, CA/CS Fullerton) to end the threat.

Miller (1-0) took it upon herself to keep GCU off the scoreboard, fanning eight batters and allowing just two hits in the complete game victory, one season removed from winning 18 games for the Toros.

The Toros broke the game open in the their final at-bat, exploding for six runs on four hits, the big blows coming on a Miller 3-run bomb and a Pebbel Prestwood (Hesperia, CA/CS Stanislaus) 2-run shot, cementing an explosive first game for the Toros in which they pounded out 11 hits.

In the nightcap, CSUDH again started early, plating two runs on a Groden sacrifice fly and a GCU error. The Antelopes, however, would respond to the flurry by scoring single runs from innings 2 to 5, the last of which knotted the game at 4-4. CSUDH, however, answered GCU's run in their final at-bat as Groden hammered an opposite field double in the top of the 7th that brought home Perry-Brown and Lori Moreno (Los Angeles, CA/California HS), providing the game's final runs.

Junior Kristine Minter (Chula Vista, CA/Hampton University) notched her first start in Cardinal & Gold, scattering seven hits and just one earned run in 3.0 innings pitched, while sophomore Amy Thomas (Barstow, CA/Barstow HS) threw four innings of stellar relief, allowing just one run in earning the win (1-0).

Offensively, Groden's two hits and four RBIs paced CSUDH, while Perry-Brown and Moreno each notched two stolen bases in the nightcap victory.

The Toros are back in action tomorrow, looking for a bit of revenge at 10:30 a.m. as they face Montana State Billings, the team that knocked CSUDH from the last year's NCAA Far West Regional, followed by a contest against Hawaii-Hilo at 3:30 p.m.