IRVINE – It was worth the wait.
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The Cal State Dominguez Hills baseball team not only had to patiently wait nearly two weeks to get its 2019 season officially underway, the Toros had to come from behind a three-run deficit in the first inning to take a 5-4 road win over Concordia (Calif.) Tuesday.
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TOP PERFORMERS
Kai Gomez – 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, SB
Domenic Colacchio – 2-for-4, 2 RBI,
Ian Codina – WP, 2.0 IP, 2 SO, 1 BB
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WHAT HAPPENED?
- While the Toros struck first with a run in the first inning, the Eagles (2-3) answered back with a four-run frame of their own.
- Dominguez Hills got to within one after
Pierson Loska and
Bailey Bordas each hit solo home runs in the middle innings.
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Aaron Greenfield and
Angel Estrada opened the eighth with back-to-back walks and Colacchio singled to left to drive in the tying run.
- After pinch-hitter
Benjamin Donerson was hit-by-the-pitch to start the ninth, pinch-runner
Chris McKee took second a wild pitch, third on a sacrifice bunt by Bordas and scored the go-ahead run on Gomez's single to right.
- Starter
Kodi Koorndyke made it through four innings before turning it over to the bullpen.
Spencer Hereford and Codina combined for four scoreless innings and
Connor Dreyer tossed a one-hit ninth inning for the save.
- The Eagles used a bullpen session for their hurlers. Starter Isaiah
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POSTGAME NOTES
- The Toros have now won four straight season openers, all in the
Tyler Wright era.
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WHO'S NEXT?
With only one game under their belt, the Toros will face the challenge of jumping right into the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) season with last-year's conference tournament runner-up Cal Poly Pomona this weekend. If the weather holds up, the two teams will open the four-game series with single, nine-inning contest at Toro Field Friday and Saturday at 2 p.m. followed by two more at Scolinos Field Sunday. The Broncos enter conference play with a 2-4 record, having recently split a two-game series with the NAIA's Hope International last weekend.