CARSON – Down 2-1 for eight innings, the Cal State Dominguez Hills baseball team setup a ninth-inning rally with the potential tying-run at second, but luck was not on the Toros side as a game-ending double play on a line drive allowed Point Loma to escape Toro Field with the win to open the non-conference series Friday.
 
Point Loma, ranked 29^th according to Collegiate Baseball's Preseason Top 30, preserved the two-run home run Brett O'Toole hit in the second inning. Dominguez Hills (1-3) collected six hits on the day, with Jose Jimenez hitting two of them.
 
The Toros' lone run of the game came in response to the homer in the second. With one out, Joe Canepa doubled to left field and reached third on Angel Estrada's single. Justin Morris brought the run home with a sacrifice fly to right.
 
Dominguez Hills would lay quiet until the ninth inning. The Sea Lions (2-4) started off with a mistake by allowing Jeremy Ciolek to reach on a dropped fly ball and put him at second base. After Canepa popped out, Estrada hit a low line drive that was caught by the first baseman and eventually froze pinch-runner Edward Manzo at second for the double play.
 
Despite giving up the two-run shot, Tristan Garnett reached 5.1 innings striking out eight and allowing three hits and two walks on 91 pitches. Matt Garcia and Nathan Ortiz combined to pitch a one-hit, one-walk shutout performance the rest of the way.
 
On the other side, Point Loma's Zack Noll went seven strong innings with nine strikeouts and one walk.
 
The two sides meeting for the 9/7 doubleheader Saturday beginning at 11 a.m.