Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Cal State Dominguez Hills Athletics

Upcoming Events & Results

Composite Calendar
FloSports

Softball

No. 24 Tritons End No. 10 Toros' Magical Season in Pair of 1-0 Super Regional Wins

The CCAA regular season Co-Champions came up just short against the CCAA Tournament Champions in the Super Regionals
Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
CARSON -- Fighting to stay alive after a heartbreaking loss in game one of yesterday's NCAA West Super Regional, defending NCAA National Champion and sixth-seeded UC San Diego showed again why they're the team to beat as All-American pitcher Camille Gaito gutted out a pair of 1-0 wins over 10th-ranked and top-seeded Cal State Dominguez Hills to advance to the NCAA Championships with a chance to defend their title.

With the losses, the Toros' season ends at 45-15, just a win away from its first appearance in the NCAA Championships and matching the most wins in program history (2005 and 2006).

"Camille was so tough, which she always is," begins head coach Jim Maier, about today's losses.  "She's one of the best pitchers in the nation and we've had a tough time with her all year.  We knew it would come down to pitching and defense, and today she had it.

"I'm most proud of the chemistry and the togetherness of the team," he continues.  "The team was just a real team and probably had the best team chemistry I've witnessed since I've been here."

With the designated visiting Toros needing one to advance and the home Tritons needing one win to stay alive, both squads were up to the task in the opening game, with each staff allowing the opposing offense just four hits.

Gaito pitched like the All-American she is while San Diego native and CSUDH starter Lauren Harper matched her pitch for pitch until she was relieved by Stephanie Jimenez in the fifth inning.

The game was scoreless through regulation until the bottom of the eighth when Caitlin Brown turned on an 0-1 offering from Jimenez and sent a no-doubter over the right center field fence for the walk-off, forcing a winner-take-all game three.

In the rubber match, the Tritons again were the designated home team after winning the coin flip, and got off the board early with a run in the bottom of the first after Kris Lesovsky was hit by a pitch to begin the game by starter Jimenez, stole second and moved to third on a throwing error, before coming home on an RBI single by Kirsten Willmon, the first of two hits on the day for the left fielder.

The Toros had a chance in their opening at-bat after Khryssi Steele roped a single to left on a full count.  Jessica Hall then laced a single up the middle one batter later to push Steele to second, but Gaito fanned Jimenez and induced a fielder's choice to end the threat.

CSUDH countered again in the third after Jackie Reyes led off the frame with a scorcher down the left field line on Gaito's first pitch.  Things looked promising as Steele then followed with a rope to the right of second baseman Monique Portugal, but Portugal cleanly short-hopped the line drive to start the 4-6-3 double play.

Reyes' hit was the last Gaito would allow on the day, improving to 29-10 with two strikeouts and a walk allowed in 87 total pitches.

"I can't say enough about Camille," begins UCSD head coach Patti Gerckens.  "What people don't know about her is that she was sick all week and we still had a chance to win on Friday except for our defense let us down, and the team that makes the least amount of mistakes will usually win.

"She came back today against a really good Dominguez Hills hitting team and she just did a really great job," she continued.

"We just wanted to get out of the West Region because that is absolutely the toughest part of our year.  The regionals were tough last week coming through the loser's bracket, and then we knew we would have a battle this weekend with Dominguez Hills.

"I'm just really proud of them. We took the hard road, but we got where we wanted to go."

Looking forward to next year after a few days that will follow today's outcome, Maier can't help but be excited for 2013.

"We knew coming into this year that pitching and defense were going to be our forte this year and that got us 45 wins, so yeah, what a great ride.

"We have our pitchers back, our battery behind the plate, most of our infield and outfield," Maier continues, "so yeah, we should have a very strong year again next year, absolutely."
Print Friendly Version