CARSON - Cal State Dominguez Hills fell in both ends of a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) softball doubleheader against No. 6 UC San Diego, Saturday at Toro Diamond. The Tritons took game one, 9-5, and the second game 2-0 in nine innings.
Combined with Friday's results, the two teams split the four-game series, 2-2.
The Toros drop to 9-5 overall and 2-2 in the CCAA. UCSD improves to 11-5 and 4-4 in conference play.
UCSD 9, CSUDH 5
The Toros gave up 17 hits en route to a 9-5 loss.
CSUDH scored first with three runs in the second. Senior
Jade Loe doubled, took third on a wild pitch and came in on a UCSD error. Messersmith was able to get on base on another Triton error and was pinch ran for by junior
Karlee Rivera. Senior
Chenoa Au hit a bases-clearing triple as the Toros took a 3-0 lead.
UCSD responded with six runs in the top of the fourth, but not before CSUDH closed to within one with two runs of their own in the bottom of the frame. Freshmen
Dafne Bravo,
Alex Davis and
Maddy Ybarra were able to get on to loade the bases. Au came through once again with a RBI to plate Bravo and senior
Jessica Lane got Ybarra in to make it a 6-5 game.
The Tritons scored three in the top of the sixth for insurance and ultimately prevailed by four.
UCSD 2, CSUDH 0 (9 innings)
Both teams had stellar pitching as CSUDH narrowly fell 2-0. Junior
Alyssa Olague (7-3) threw nine innings and struck out five. The Tritons scored the two runs in the top of the ninth inning.
CSUDH had bases-loaded in the fifth and seventh innings, as well as two runners on in the sixth and ninth inning, but could not push any of them through.
