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Toros Lose 2-1 Heartbreaker to UC San Diego to Open CCAA Baseball Championships

Box Score
Palm Springs, CA -- In a game delayed over 40 minutes due to the breakdown of a mechanical lift in center field of Palm Springs Stadium prior to the game, a late Cal State Dominguez Hills rally fell just short as the Toros fell 2-1 to top-seeded UC San Diego in game one of the CCAA Baseball Championships, falling into tomorrow's loser's bracket against crosstown rival Cal State L.A., a 4-0 loser to Sonoma State in the late game.

The 4th-seeded Toros put together rallies in the first two innings against Triton starter Tim Shibuya, but Shibuya induced a weak grounder to first to end the first inning with two runners on, and then was helped by a diving stop by second baseman Garrett Imeson on a Carlos Leyva shot up the middle in the second to keep CSUDH off the board.

UCSD capitalized in the bottom of the second off CSUDH starter Kody Kurowski as it loaded the bases with none out.  After Triton Robert Sedin brought home in the game's first run on a sacrifice fly, Vance Albitz followed with an RBI single through the left side on a 1-2 pitch for a 2-0 lead.

CCAA unanimous MVP Jon Alia brought life back into the Toros in the 6th after belting his 18th home run of the season over the 375' sign in dead center field to lead off the inning, a tape measure shot that was recorded at 393' to cut the UCSD lead to 2-1.

The Tritons looked to get the run back in their 6th inning at bat after a leadoff double by Evan Kehoe, but an ensuing double over the head of Toro right fielder Andrew Baslow proved advantageous for CSUDH as Baslow threw a perfect relay to Leyva at second, who gunned down Kehoe at the plate after catcher Derrek Duarte displayed a textbook block as he received Leyva's laser, keeping UCSD off the board.

Down a run in the 8th, Baslow singled and was moved to second on a wild pitch, prompting a Triton pitching change.  With closer Guido Knudson entering the contest, Alia ran the count to 3-0 before Knudson threw three straight strikes to retire Alia for the first time in four at-bats, inducing two groundouts on the next two batters to end the threat.

CSUDH looked to rally in its last at-bat, but Knudson retired the final two batters of the game after a Luis Perez single to secure the 2-1 Triton win.

Both teams banged out nine hits in the 2-hour, 37-minute contest, with Alia's 3-for-4 performance highlighting the offense for the Toros.

CSUDH, now at 34-20, plays the Cal State L.A. tomorrow morning at 11:00 am, with the loser being eliminated from the CCAA Tournament.  The game's implications could extend further than the CCAA Tournament as a win by the NCAA West's 5th-seeded Toros could push them past the West's 4th-seeded Golden Eagles for the fourth and final spot in the upcoming NCAA West Region playoffs.
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