HAYWARD – The Cal State Dominguez Hills baseball team continues to fight out of a cold it is in as Cal State East Bay took the doubleheader, 5-4 and 3-2, to clinch the CCAA series.
 
Despite recording eight hits in both games, the Toros couldn't get it to spark in a run surge and aid the pitching corps. The Toros had left seven runners on base in each game as well.
 
The losses drop the Toros to 22-18 overall and 17-14 in the CCAA. Pending on the results on Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Bernardino, Dominguez Hills currently stays in fifth place but is now being caught up by East Bay and Sonoma State, which both have 15 wins in conference play with nine games to play.
 
Game 1 – CSUEB 5, CSUDH 4
Isaac Mullins has been the Toros most consistent pitcher during conference play. Although he pitched his third complete-game of the season, the Pioneers had to make him work as they recorded 10 hits throughout the game, the first time the lefty has conceded that many knocks since March 13.
 
He basically got a 'new game' when the offense rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the ninth. Alberto Luevano led off with a base hit to left, Matt Mecate drew a one-out walk and Caleb Ellis hit a single to load the bases. Pinch-hitter Kevin Moscoso came up clutch with a two-run double to center field and Eric Smelko traded an out for the tying run.
 
Mullins went back out there to try and for extra innings. However, East Bay used three straight hits and a critical passed ball to walk off for the 5-4 win.
 
Mullins needed only to throw 85 pitches while on the other side, Ryan Gibson only made it two innings before turning it over to the bullpen. Ethan Brodsky, the winning pitcher, went the rest of the way striking out 10.
 
Game 2 – CSUEB 3, CSUDH 2
East Bay took a 2-0 lead after scoring a run in the first two innings. Dominguez Hills sliced the deficit in half in the third inning when Scott Ogrin hit a home run.
 
After East Bay scored its third run in the fourth, both sides would go quiet until the seventh inning, when the Toros made a rally attempt.
 
Mecate led off with a base hit and then Smelko and Ogrin got back-to-back singles to load the bases with two outs. Mecate scored the second run on a wild pitch and with a two-strike count, Anthony Accordino flied out to first to end the game.
 
In what looked to be an opener, Nate Ortiz started out by throwing 3.1 innings on the mound, striking out five but surrendering the three runs on six hits and three walks. Carlos Bracamontes closed out the fourth inning and then Josh Castillo and Donovan Waitman went the rest of the way pitching shutout innings.
 
Mark Woinarowicz went from start to finish for the Pioneers, strikeout seven on eight hits.
 
The two sides wrap up the series Sunday at 11 a.m.