April 24, 2006
Box Score
Game 1 Game 2
Seaside, CA -- Entering the home stretch of the regular season and readying itself for the NCAA postseason, Cal State Dominguez Hills fired on all cylinders in taking a dominating 14-0 decision over host Cal State Monterey Bay in the opener, but fielded what seemed to be a completely different team in falling 4-1 in the nightcap. With the split, CSUDH moves to 36-7, 15-5 CCAA, while CSUMB now stands at 19-32, 5-21 CCAA.
After an error allowed CSUDH to take a 2-0 lead after two innings, the Toros offense exploded for 12 runs and 11 hits over the 4th and 5th innings to put the game away. In the 4th, a Cindy Perry-Brown (Victorville, CA/Silverado HS) RBI single started the deluge, and a Kate Groden (San Pedro, CA/SE Missouri Univ.) 2RBI double and a Kristine Minter (Chula Vista, CA/Hampton University) 2RBI single ended it, giving CSUDH an 8-0 lead. That momentum would carry over to the next inning as RBI doubles by Lori Moreno (Los Angeles, CA/California HS) and Groden were followed by back-to-back homers by Jackie Miller (Bremerton, WA/CS Stanislaus) and Jennifer Wilson (Orange, CA/CS Fullerton), putting an exclamation point on an offensive performance.
Miller (13-2) was the beneficiary of this show, allowing just one hit in 5.0 innings of work. Perry-Brown led the Toros with three hits, while Groden's two-hit, three-RBI performance added to CSUDH's 13-hit attack. Moreno and Wilson each added two hits while four Otter errors helped the Toro run production.
The nightcap, however, was a completely different story as Otter pitcher Jessica Boyle shut down the high-powered Toro offense, earning a 4-1 win and split for the Otters on the afternoon. Moreno was the lone spark for CSUDH as she collected two of the Toros' three hits, while CSUMB's Amy Layns, Jessica Wardle and Ramona Garcia each tallied two hits in CSUMB's 10-hit attack, leading to all four runs scored in the first two innings.
The Toros used two walks and a Groden sacrifice fly to plate their lone run in the 3rd inning, but that would be all CSUDH would muster in the contest. After earning CCAA Pitcher of the Week for her first career no-hitter last week, CSUDH starter Minter suffered her first loss of the season, lasting just two innings while allowing all four runs, two of which were unearned.
The Toros return to Toro Diamond for their final home stand this weekend, hosting Sonoma State on Friday, April 28, followed by a national showdown against the reigning Far West Champs San Francisco State the next day, which will also honor the eight seniors playing in their final regular season home game of their careers.
