SAN FRANCISCO –
Kianna Abellera has reached an uncharted territory Saturday as she recorded a hit in both Cal State Dominguez Hills' 5-4 and 7-2 softball wins over San Francisco State to extend her hitting streak to 20 games.
The wins also improves the Toros to 30-14, the first 30-win season since 2013, when head coach
Jim Maier's team went to the NCAA Super Regional that year.
In addition, the wins move the Toros (18-10 CCAA) closer to clinching a spot to the CCAA Tournament in three weeks. The holdup from securing a berth is because the seventh-place Gators (16-25, 7-17 CCAA) have 12 more games to play compared to the Toros' eight. The magic number for the Toros to clinch is two.
Game 1 – CSUDH 5, SFSU 4
The Toros had found themselves trailing 2-1 after two innings, but a big third inning helped reclaim the lead. With
Chenoa Au at first and no out,
Kianna Abellera singled to left and
Raquel Jaime walked to load the bases for the heart of the lineup.
Claudia Valencia and
Kaylee Hull both singled in a run and
Maiya Lopez did serious damage by hitting a 2-run double into the gap in left center to give the Toros a 5-2 lead.
Ashley Wies went 4.1 innings striking out three and giving up two earned runs on five hits and no walks.
Alyssa Olague came into the game in the fifth inning inheriting a runner on first. She conceded that run on a double.
She got out of the inning with an impressive read. With runners at the corners during an at-bat, the Gators attempted a double steal when Lopez threw the ball back to Olague. The runner at second attempted to take second as a distraction but Olague kept her eye on the runner at third who was to sneak into home. Olague started a rundown and eventually got the runner making one last attempt to score.
Despite giving up a two-out solo home run in the seventh, Olague pitched her way to the second save of the season.
Game 2 – CSUDH 7, SFSU 2
Abellera hit to run her hitting streak to 20 came in her first chance at the plate, a solo home run to center field. The Toros then took a 2-0 lead in the third inning, when
Katelyn Sturm hit a RBI double to left center to score in Valencia from first base.
Valencia would score in the third run of the game in the fifth. She stole second and then scored on Hull's double to left center. In the sixth inning, Au would hit a one-out single and Abellera reached on a fielding error by the shortstop to setup a two-run double by Valencia to give the Toros a 5-0 lead.
Hull opened the seventh inning with a single and reached third on Lopez's double to right center.
Haylee Garcia, the hero in Friday's second game, hit into a fielder's choice to score in Hull and Au singled in pinch-runner
Amara Labonog to give the Toros a 7-1 lead.
Olague pitched the complete game in this matchup. She gave up 10 hits but did not issue a walk.
Dominguez Hills wraps up the homestand this coming weekend hosting first-place Cal State San Marcos. First pitch on Friday is at 1 p.m. and Saturday is at noon. Prior to Saturday's first pitch, the Toros will celebrate both its current and super seniors.
