HAYWARD – The Cal State Dominguez Hills baseball team took a giant blow in the ninth inning as Cal State East Bay scored two runs to walkoff 4-3 and sweep the Toros in a critical CCAA series Sunday.
 
The Toros got the go-ahead run in the ninth inning when Eric Smelko, who had two hits to run his hitting streak to 20 games, lead off with a single and scored on Anthony Accordino's RBI knock to center.
 
Carlos Bracamontes, who was asked to pitch since the sixth inning, got a strikeout to start the home half of the ninth, but a critical error and a single set up for the walkoff two-run double.
 
By being swept, the Toros hold on to fifth place by one game over East Bay and Sonoma State with eight games to play. The CCAA takes the top six teams into the tournament in May. The Toros will have to use the final home series of the season against Sonoma to at least maintain control of their postseason destiny. The two will open the four-game set Friday at 3 p.m.
 
The Toros had to respond to a 1-0 deficit in the fifth inning. Smelko got on base with his first single and Scott Ogrin slugged his 18^th home run in the season to give the Toros a 2-1 lead. East Bay answered back in its half of the inning when a leadoff single turned into the tying run.
 
Humberto Chiquito got the starting nod and went 5.1 innings, striking out three and allowing two runs on eight hits and two walks on 87 pitches.