CARSON – The Cal State Dominguez Hills softball team saw another outstanding performance from
Alyssa Olague as the Toros split another doubleheader with No. 22 Chico State Saturday.
Although a solo home run in the seventh by the 'Cats was the only run scored in game two, the Toros bounced back from a 4-run deficit to start game two and ended when
Chenoa Au hit a bases-loaded walkoff in the 14
th inning to reward Olague's 12-inning series-saving performance.
Despite being the pitcher of record in all four games, Olague closed out the weekend pitching the best performance in her collegiate career, hurling 30 innings, including a career-high 12 in game two, to go along with 35 strikeouts and issued no Wildcat walks at any point in the series.
Game 1 – CHICO 1, CSUDH 0
It was a good-ole fashion pitcher's duel between Olague and Chico's Mari Takeda Bejan. Both pitchers gave up four hits while Takeda Bajan walked two and struck out four. Olague fanned nine.
Both sides offense couldn't get a runner to third base on a base hit at any point in the game.
Claudia Valencia reached third on a fielder's choice.
The lone run of the game came from the dangerous Relani Peleti, who led off the seventh with a home run to center.
Game 2 – CSUDH 6, CHICO 5 (14 innings)
The 'Cats jumped quickly on
Ashley Wies, who got the starting nod. Wies quickly fell behind 4-0 on four doubles in the inning, including three straight. The Toros got two of those runs back in the second inning.
Katelyn Sturm and
Alex Davis both drew walks and scored when Au hit a liner into center field. A bobbling error by the center fielder allowed Davis to score in the second run.
Dominguez Hills' rally became complete in the fifth inning.
Raquel Jaime led off with a base hit and a error sacrifice bunt put
Maiya Lopez on first base and move Jaime to second.
Kaylee Hull brought both of them home with a two-run single, highlighted by pinch-runner
Jonessa Hebreo barely beating the throw at home and hyping the Toro dugout to tie the game 5-5.
It would stay 5-5 for 13 innings. Both sides had scoring opportunities in different points of the extra inning. The Toros caught a huge break in the 13
th inning. With the potential go-ahead run at third base, Takeda Bajan hit a fly ball to right field and Davis' throw was not in time. However, the runner at third was called out for leaving early on the catch, preserving the 5-5 score.
Hull started off the 14
th inning for Dominguez Hills by hitting a critical double into the gap in right center. Davis got on base on a fielding error and a
Amara Labonog reached base on a fielder's choice attempting a sacrifice bunt. Au came up to the plate with the bases loaded and took a 1-1 count into shallow left field to walk off the Toros and split the series.
Olague was brilliant in that game. In addition to throwing only 111 pitches in the dozen innings of work, she gave up one unearned run on seven hits.
While the Toros' split the series, they still sit in third place but are now tied with Sonoma State, which swept Cal State San Bernardino over the weekend. All CCAA teams will step out of conference play to participate in the annual Tournament of Champions, hosted by Stanislaus State.
The Toros will open TOC Friday starting with Azusa Pacific at Warrior Softball Field at 2 p.m. followed by Hawai`i Hilo at Pedretti Sports Complex at 7 p.m.
