Carson, CA -- True freshman Michelle Medina (Lakewood, CA/St. Joseph HS) picked up her first career collegiate win in her first career collegiate start as the Toros took a 9-1 mercy run-rule decision in the nightcap after visiting Chico State took a 9-4 win in the opener, enabling CSUDH to salvage the final of four games against the Wildcats over the weekend. With the win, CSUDH improves to 12-11, 4-6 CCAA, while CSUC falls to 9-13, 5-9 CCAA.
After the loss to open the day, the Toros offense began game two on fire, banging six-consecutive singles to start the frame in cashing in four runs to take a 4-1 lead, the big blow coming on a Bri Mahr (Fullerton, CA/Cypress JC) 2RBI bases loaded single. Two innings later, CSUDH staged a two-out rally as Katie Garcia (Riverside, CA/La Sierra HS) followed consecutive singles by Araceli Martinez (Downey, CA/Warren HS) and Jessica Marlow (Huntington Beach, CA/Edison HS) with a 2RBI double to push the Toros' lead to 6-1.
The Toros struck again two innings later with three runs to put the game away. In the frame, two wild pitches led to CSUDH's first run, and Jodi Nakawatase (Long Beach, CA/Millikan HS) and Garcia base-knocks brought home the final two in the 9-1 victory.
Medina was the story of the game as the true freshman scattered seven hits while allowing no earned runs in the contest as CSUC's lone score came courtesy of a Toro fielding error in the top of the 1st. The Lakewood native tallied 83 total pitches in the game, netting 51 strikes to improve to 1-0 on the year.
In the opener, the Wildcats got on the board first in the top of the 2nd as catcher Jenny Chacon blasted CSUDH starter Jennifer Martinez's (La Habra, CA/Cal State Long Beach) 2-2 offering over the center field fence for her first home run of the year, and a quick 2-0 lead.
CSUDH mounted a rally in the 4th on back-to-back walks to open the frame, and after a Jamie Portillo (La Habra, CA/CS Fullerton) groundout moved the runners over, Nakawatase tied the game with a booming double off the center field fence on CSUC starter Rachel Gendron's first pitch, before Jennifer Frazier (Buena Park, CA/Kennedy HS) singled home Nakawatase for CSUDH's first lead of the game.
The Toros had a chance to break the game open in the 5th by loading the bases with none out, but CSUC reliever Tina Johnson induced two groundouts to the pitcher and a line out to 2B to keep the game close at 3-2.
CSUC took advantage one inning later as Toro hurler J. Martinez ran into control trouble, issuing two walks to load the bases. After reliever Medina entered and uncorked a wild pitch to tie the game, Megan Bera and Chelsea Lundberg drove in four runs with a single and double to give the Wildcats a 7-3 lead, after which Chacon added her 2nd homer of the game one inning later in the eventual 9-4 win.
On the day, Mahr and Frazier paced the Toros with three hits apiece while Nakawatase tallied three RBI on the day. For the Wildcats, Megan Bera enjoyed a 4-for-6 afternoon, while Chacon blasted her first two home runs of the year in the opener.
The Toros travel to San Francisco State to battle the Gators in a four-game set, with the first double-header scheduled for Friday, March 16. CSUDH returns home on March 23 as Cal State Bakersfield pays Toro Diamond a visit, with first pitch of game one scheduled for 1 pm on Toro Diamond.
