May 11, 2006

Box Score

Bakersfield, CA -- Senior Jackie Miller (Bremerton, WA/CS Stanislaus) scattered seven hits while fellow senior Kate Groden (San Pedro, CA/SE Missouri University) belted a game-winning 2RBI double in the bottom of the 5th inning as Cal State Dominguez Hills fended off both Cal State Stanislaus and temperatures that reached triple digits, taking a 3-1 win over the Warriors in their opening game of the NCAA Far West Regional playoffs.

With the win, CSUDH improves to 43-9 and will take on the top-ranked team in the nation in Humboldt State tomorrow afternoon at 4:30 p.m., while the Wildcats fall to 32-22, and face an elimination game versus Hawaii Pacific tomorrow at 11:30 a.m.

The Toros started quick as Cindy Perry-Brown (Victorville, CA/Silverado HS) began with a bunt single to begin the bottom of the 1st, stole second and advanced to 3rd on a Lori Moreno (Los Angeles, CA/California HS) sacrifice bunt. CSUS starter Jessica Gaumintz, however, would buckle down and retire the next two Toros to keep the game scoreless after one inning of play.

CSUDH would break through two innings later, using consecutive walks to Araceli Martinez (Downey, CA/Warren HS) and Elicia Velazquez (San Diego, CA/Palomar JC), a passed ball and a Moreno groundout for the game's first run.

The Toros would continue that momentum two innings later as Groden followed consecutive singles by Velazquez and Perry-Brown with a double that fell an inch inside the right field line, giving the Toros a 3-0 lead.

The Warriors would answer one inning later as Alyssa Guzman lofted a deep fly to left that kept sailing, eventually landing beyond the reach of Velazquez over the left field wall. CSUS nearly cut the CSUDH lead to one just one batter later, but Moreno deprived Meghan Franksen of a possible home run by reaching over the center field fence and snagging the deep fly, keeping the Toros ahead at 3-1.

Miller would do the rest, battling through a two-on, one-out CSUS rally in the top of the 7th and eventually inducing Sarah Shamblin to pop out for the final out of the game. Miller allowed just one run in the win (17-3), fanning 8 against just 1 walk, and was bolstered by two hits apiece by Perry-Brown and Velazquez. Gaumintz took the loss (11-8), allowing all three runs on just four hits.

"I take my hat off to Stanislaus," begins head coach Jim Maier. "I think that they did a very good job but we did what we needed to do. All the games have been close in the regional so far, so everybody's good. That was a good victory for us."

The Toros and the Lumberjacks face off tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. in game two of the winner's bracket, after HSU bested HPU 3-2 in the day's final game.