CARSON – Dalton Duarte had two hits for extra bases and a RBI, but the Cal State Dominguez Hills baseball team endured two rough innings and No. 6 California Baptist did all the damage in the middle innings in the Toros' 15-4 loss to the Lancers in the rubber match of the season-opening non-conference series.
 
After retiring the first six batters, left-hander Joe Mercado got into trouble in the third inning as the Lancers racked up four hits, including a double and a home run, and two walks to take a 4-0 lead.
 
The difference in the game was in the fourth inning, when a RBI triple gave the Lancers (2-1) a five-run lead.
 
Dominguez Hills did get two of those runs back in its half of the inning. Esteban Ortega led off with a single and Duarte put two runners into scoring position with a double down the right field line. Eduardo Frayre-Cerda brought one run in with a sacrifice fly and Kai Gomez drove in the other with a single
 
The game was out of the Toros reach in the fifth, when the Lancers put five on the board.
 
Duarte's second hit in the sixth was smashed into center field for his first homer as a Toro. The fourth run was scored in the seventh. Gomez led off with a single, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a hit and an error.
 
Ray Diaz and Nick Suniga each tossed a shutout inning of relief for the Toros.
 
The Toros will make a visit to San Diego county for the next five games, starting with Point Loma for the first three. The non-conference schedule finale begins Thursday at 2 p.m.