Toros Make Quick Work Out of Crusaders in 2-1 Win to Open Series

Box Score

CARSON -- Senior David Haerle scattered just three hits and allowed an earned run as Cal State Dominguez Hills benefited from four hit batters and a balk from visiting Northwest Nazarene starter Colben McGuire in taking a 2-1 decision to open the four-game series in a contest that lasted just 2 hours and 4 minutes.

With the win, CSUDH improves to 3-1 overall, while NNU remains winless at 0-6.

The pace of the game was lightning quick from the outset, with the contest scoreless until the 3rd when Jordan Yallen was plunked to begin the frame. A Taylor Kahanowitch single and Joshua Flores sacrifice bunt two batters later set the stage for Danny Haley, whose fielder's choice groundout one batter later sent Yallen home to give CSUDH a 1-0 lead.

That's where the score remained until the 6th when Haley was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a balk, and came home on a Peter Ives single through the left side to double the edge.

NNU made a game of it in the 7th on an RBI groundout by Andrew Helmstadter, but that would be all the Crusader offense today as Haerle and reliever Aaron Gray combined to shut down NNU over the final three innings, with Gray earning his first save of the year after two innings of perfect work.

Haerle helped himself by picking off a pair of NNU runners at first base, while McGuire did himself a disservice with four hit batters, with two of those batters coming around to score.

The teams combined for just six hits -- three apiece -- with Sam Cook notching the lone extra base knock.

The two teams go at it again for a twinbill tomorrow morning, with first pitch set for an 11:00 am start.

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