IRVINE -- After dropping a 10-4 contest to kick off today's twinbill at Concordia, Cal State Dominguez Hills rallied with two unearned runs in the top of the 7th inning en route to a 4-3 come-from-behind win forging a split and leading the four-game set two games to one, with the series finale takes place in Carson tomorrow at noon.
Albert Leuvano drove home three runs in the win while
Donovan Waitman pitched 2.2 innings in relief to pick up his first win of the year.
Game 1 – CUI 10, CSUDH 4
The Eagles wasted no time getting on the board first against
Humberto Chiquito as the right-hander gave up a home run on the very first batter.
The Toros did take the lead in the third inning.
Bailey Bordas drew a walk to lead off the inning and
Eric Smelko belted a two-run shot to center field to take a 2-1 lead.
The lead was very brief as the Eagles answered back with a one-out double followed by an RBI single to tie the game at two runs apiece. Concordia would take the lead back permanently when they scored two runs in the fourth and fifth innings followed by a runaway five-run sixth inning.
Dominguez Hills got its two runs in the eighth when
Anthony Accordino hit a pinch-hit two-out, two-run home run to left.
Game 2 – CSUDH 4, CUI 3
The Toros had to play catch-up after the Eagles took a 2-0 lead within the first two innings. Dominguez Hills' first run of the game came in the fourth inning.
Scott Ogrin led off with a triple to right field and Luevano brought him home with a sacrifice fly. One inning later,
Caleb Ellis hit a one-out single and was forced to third after Smelko singled and
Pierson Loska walked. He scored the tying run on a passed ball.
Concordia answered back in its half of the fifth with a bases-loaded walk.
Playing the scheduled seventh inning, the Toros got the benefit of a big mistake by the Eagles defense. Ellis led off with a walk and Accordino drew a walk to become the go-ahead run at first. Down to their final out, Luevano hit a ball that was mishandled by the right fielder, allowing both Ellis and pinch-runner
Matt Mecate to score the two runs and give the Toros a 4-3 lead.
Damon Treadwell got the starting nod and went three innings, striking out five and giving up just one walk and four hits.
Matt Garcia pitched 1.1 innings of work before handing the ball to Waitman, who went the rest of the way pitching 2.2 shutout innings for his first win.
The two sides come back to Toro Field to wrap up the four-game series Sunday at noon, hopefully just in time before the Super Bowl kickoff.
