CARSON – Having already split the first two meetings in San Marcos, the Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State San Marcos did just that at Toro Field Sunday. The Cougars ran away with an 8-5 game-one win in 11 innings while the Toros responded to game two with a 6-0 shutout in the nightcap to wrap up the California Collegiate Athletic Association season opener.
Game 1: CSUSM 8, CSUDH 5 (11 innings)
The Toros had worked to do after surrendering three unearned runs in the second inning that allowed the Cougars to take a 4-0 lead. The rally started in the bottom of the second.
Jeremy Ciolek led off with a base hit up the middle, and following a flyout,
Jose Jimenez singled to center and
Edward Manzo doubled to left to score in the first run.
Bailey Bordas traded an out for a run with a ground ball and Grant Decatral knocked in the third run with a single to left center.
Dominguez Hills tied the game for the first time in the fifth. Decatral was hit by the pitch to open the inning and
Pierson Loska drew a walk to move him into scoring position. Ciolek would come up clutch with an RBI single to center to tie the game for a second time.
The symmetry applied in the ninth inning. While the Cougars broke the 4-4 tie with an RBI double, the Toros responded with pinch-hitter
Joe Canepa lining a double down the right field line and
Aaron Greenfield hit a sacrifice fly to left to score in pinch-runner
Justin Morris.
Both sides would toss a shutout 10
th inning. The 11
th, however, belonged to the Cougars as they plated three runs on three straight RBI singles.
Much like
Dylan Steen in San Marcos Saturday, left-hander
Isaac Mullins had a brilliant outing, going 8.2 innings and only surrendering two earned runs on nine hits and a walk. He also struck out four.
Game 2: CSUDH 6, CSUSM 0
It didn't take the Toros very long to get on the board. After Nate Ortiz stranded one batter on base to open the game,
Edward Manzo and Loska drew back-to-back leadoff walks and with two down Greenfield broke the ice with an RBI single to right center.
Matt Beserra got the second run in with a solo home run in the second.
The Toros would go down in order in the third and fourth innings but opened up the lead in the fifth. Loska smashed a one-out triple to right and scored right away on Henry's sacrifice fly. Ciolek followed with a double down the left field line, and after Greenfield issued a free pass to first base via walk,
Angel Estrada knocked both runs home with a double to left center and Jimenez followed with an RBI single to make it a 6-0 lead.
Ortiz went 4.2 innings on the bump, striking out four while giving up four hits and a walk.
Ricardo Serrano and
Jacob Paradine each pitched shutout outings with Serrano striking out four.
The Toros welcome Cal State San Bernardino to Toro Field Friday at 2 p.m.
