CARSON –
Dalton Duarte swung for the fence twice in game for the second time in the series and completed a five-home run weekend as the Cal State Dominguez Hills baseball team downed Stanislaus State 7-3 to take all four of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) series Sunday.
Duarte exits the series with the Warriors red hot, going 10-for-17 with the five blasts and two doubles and a dozen RBIs.
Esteban Ortega also had a good series, going 8-for-16 with two homers, a triple and a double while knocking in eight runs. Today, he got Dominguez Hills on the board in the first inning with a 0-1 solo shot to left field and Duarte followed with his first of two homers to give the Toros a 2-1 lead.
The Toros got another run in the second when a fielding error in center field following a single by
Jesus Sanchez allowed
Jordan James to score all the way from first.
Stan State tied the game 3-3 in the third inning but handed the lead back to Dominguez Hills in the home half. Ortega led off with a fielding error by the shortstop and back-to-back base hits by Duarte and
Kevin Lugo allowed the third baseman to score the eventual winning run.
The Toros added two more runs in the fifth with the tandem of Ortega and Duarte opening the inning with back-to-back doubles and
Stephen Kish drove in Duarte with a single up the middle.
Duarte completed the 7-3 score with his second home run to right field.
It was another good day for the hurlers. Despite giving up the three runs, left-hander
Luke Laurita made it through five innings allowing six hits and two walks while striking out three.
Jacob Musial went the rest of the way tossing a shutout gem for his second save, both of which came from meeting the three-plus innings of relief criteria.
The Toros have become spoilers in the conference, having ended the Warriors hopes of contending for a tournament bid with the sweep.
The regular-season finale has the Toros pitting against Cal Poly Pomona. The Broncos will host the first two games Thursday and Friday (both at 3 p.m.) before wrapping the campaign at Toro Field in a doubleheader Saturday at noon.
