DENVER, Colo. – Making their NCAA Division II Softball Championship debuts at a hot and mildly humid Assembly Athletic Complex on the campus of Metro State, No. 8 Cal State Dominguez Hills looked more like a team that has been there before whereas top-seeded Texas-Tyler looked more like the rookie team as three costly errors benefited the Toros to a 5-1 win in the tournament's opener Thursday.
 
The Toros will await the winner of No. 4 Southern Indiana and No. 5 Rogers State for another 10 a.m. PDT first pitch Friday.
 
While both sides tallied for eight hits, the Toros saw five doubles, including two from Raquel Jaime, and a two-run home run by Maiya Lopez.
 
Ashley Wies came into relief for Alyssa Olague and went 5.2 innings striking out three and giving up a walk to earn her 20^th win of the season.
 
After a shutout first inning, Amara Labonog led off the second reaching on the Patriots' first error of the game. After Alex Davis laid down a sacrifice bunt, it turned out to not be needed as Lopez went opposite field for a two-run jack to right.
 
One inning later, the Toros cashed in another run on back-to-back doubles by Jaime and Kianna Abellera. In the fourth inning, Lopez led off with an error and Katelyn Sturm drew a walk to start it off. They both got into scoring position to setup another two-run double by Jaime to make it 5-0.
 
Although the Patriots plate their only run in the fifth, they threated twice in the sixth and seventh innings with back-to-back base hits, but Wies and the defense kept it clean and got the three outs to exit the jam.