SAN MARCOS – After a long night to think about the heart-breaking game one loss to Cal State San Marcos to open up the NCAA Softball Super Regional Thursday, Cal State Dominguez Hills went back out there with a different lineup.
It worked.
After the 'visitor' Cougars opened game two Friday with a run, the Toros used that new look in the lineup to score four runs in the first and kept in front the rest of the way to post a 10-2 mercy-rule victory in six innings to force a winner-take-all game later in the day.
First pitch is at approximately 1:40 p.m. pending on field preparation.
On an overcast day at CSUSM Softball Field, the Toros didn't seemed to be bothered by it. The offense racked up 12 hits and nine RBIs while
Alyssa Olague got that backing she needed to pitch six innings allowing the two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out four.
Head coach
Jim Maier and the coaches decided to tweak the lineup for game two, most notably switching
Raquel Jaime and
Claudia Valencia to the No. 1 and 3 spots, respectively. It worked out well as Jaime went 3-for-4 and became the key to the ignition for the offense.
Olague got the first two batters out to start the game, but the Cougars' heart of the lineup struck with a single followed by an RBI double to score the game's first run.
The lead was short lived as the wise decision to move Jaime to the leadoff spot saw the senior launch a home run to center to tie the game.
The inning would continue on. Valencia, who dropped to the three-spot, singled,
Amara Labonog and
Alex Davis drew back-to-back walks, and with two outs,
Katelyn Sturm lined a single to a hole on the left side to score in Valencia and
Kaylee Hull hit a two-run single to make it a 4-1 Toro lead.
It became deja vu in the Cougars' third inning when a single and a double brought in their second run. But Olague got the next two batters out to strand the runner at second.
After a quiet fourth inning, the Toros did cash in two more runs thanks to Sturm. Labonog led off with a single and was subbed in for
Jonessa Hebreo. Davis got on base on a fielding error and the two moved to second and third on a wild pitch, setting up Sturm's hit to left center.
Jaime opened the sixth with a double and reached third on a throwing error.
Kianna Abellera got her home with a single through the right side. Later in the inning the Toros loaded the bases with Valencia at third, Labonog at second and Davis at first.
Maiya Lopez hit a grounder that was misplayed by the shortstop to score both Valencia and Labonog. Although a fielder's choice forced Lopez out at second, Hull picked up the inning with a base hit to shallow right that allowed Davis to score.
