IRVINE -- Senior Chenoa Au went 3-for-3 with a run scored and junior Alyssa Olague tossed another complete-game masterpiece as No. 6 seeded Cal State Dominguez Hills took down host and No. 2 seeded Concordia University in a winner's bracket contest, sending the Toros to tomorrow's championship game where they will need to win once to advance to next week's NCAA Super Regionals.
Entering tomorrow not having lost in the regional, CSUDH's opponent will have to defeat the Toros twice to move onto the NCAA Super Regional round.
It was another gem for Olague, who tossed her second complete game in as many starts. The Whittier native allowed just one hit through the first five innings of work, retiring the high-powered Eagle offense in order in three of the frames.
The game was scoreless until the 5th inning when Amara Labonog began the top half of the frame with a four-pitch walk. Jonessa Hebreo entered as a pinch runner, and advanced to second on a passed ball. With the Eagles looking to quell the rally after retiring the next two batters, Au had second thoughts as she laced a grounder up the middle to break the scoreless tie.
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After catching the CUI defense off guard by swiping second, Au turned on her after-burners on a Claudia Valencia infield single.
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As Valencia was called safe at first, Au took a wide turn around third base, prompting CUI's first baseman to throw to 3B behind Au. Seeing daylight, Au broke for the plate and dove head first around the Eagle catcher's tag, giving CSUDH a 2-0 lead.
Yesterday's offensive and defensive hero Kianna Abellera then stroked a deep double to the left-center field gap, bringing home Valencia with what proved to be the game-winner.
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Olague was in cruise control the entire game, running into her only troublesome inning in the 7th.
With two out, a sharp liner to the 5 hold that made its way under Labonog's glove set the stage for Kendall Flatt, who hammered Olague's only mistake over the left center field fence one batter later to make it 3-2 and give CUI hope.
Undaunted, however, Olague struck out Lauren Fairchild swinging with a 2-2 offering to end the game, propelling the Toros to tomorrow's regional championship game.
The other three teams in the regional -- CUI, Chico State and Azusa Pacific -- will stage a 3-team battle royale over the next few hours to see which team will earn the right to face CSUDH tomorrow in the double-elimination tournament, and will need to best the Toros twice to move onto next week's action.
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