SEASIDE -- Nick Suniga struck out four in a complete-game gem as the Cal State Dominguez Hills baseball team split a doubleheader with No. 19 and first-place Cal State Monterey Bay Sunday afternoon.

The Toros came from a five-run deficit only to lose it in an 8-7 game-one loss while Suniga's performance was enough for the Cardinal and Gold to take the nightcap 2-1. 

Both teams will play the series finale Monday at 11 a.m.

Game 1 – CSUMB 8, CSUDH 7

The Otters seemed to have been in cruise control for the first five innings, scoring a run in the first and second followed by three more in the fifth to take a 5-0 while on the other end Colton Fletcher was perfection.

The perfection was over in the sixth when Kevin Lugo hit a hard comebacker to Fletcher for the first baserunner. The base hit would eventually setup a three-run inning for the Toros. Charles Steele followed Lugo with a walk and a hit-by-pitch on Kai Gomez loaded the bases with one out. Jordan James hit a fielder's choice to second for out number two but scored in the first run and Esteban Ortega followed with a one-RBI base hit down the left field line. The very same play the left fielder bobbled the ball near the left field foul pole which allowed James to score all the way from first.

After Lugo got on base for the second consecutive inning with a walk to start the seventh, Evan Yeager got a base hit to setup a three-run blast to right field by Ortega to give CSUDH a 7-5 lead.

Game 2 – CSUDH 2, CSUMB 1

After a rough first inning in which TJ Dove tripled and scored on a RBI single to take a 1-0 lead, Suniga took control and held the otters hitless the rest of the way. The senior gave up two hits and five walks on 104 pitches.

The Toros had a rally going in the fifth inning with Jeremy Ciolek and Charles Steele reaching on a single and a walk respectively. Daryl Donerson moved the runners over with a groundout and Ortega hit a hard, line drive into left field to knock in both runs and give CSUDH a 2-1 lead.