SEASIDE --
Clarisa Ramirez came up huge in the biggest game of her career, tossing 5.1 innings in relief to lead No. 4 seeded Cal State Dominguez Hills to a thrilling 6-5 win over No. 2 seeded Chico State in a CCAA Tournament elimination game for both teams.
The Toros live to fight another day, and fight they will tomorrow morning against No. 5 seeded and host Cal State Monterey Bay, which eliminated No. 6 seeded Cal State East Bay this afternoon.
Ramirez and senior
Claudia Valencia combined to headline today's win, with Ramirez allowing just one run and four hits en route to her first career collegiate victory, fanning four Wildcats in the process.
Valencia, meanwhile, who was chosen CSUDH's Female Athlete of the Year at last Monday's banquet, drove home four Toro runners as part of her 2-for-4 outing at the plate in the come-from-behind win.
Down 2-0 entering the top of the 2nd inning, an
Amara Labonog RBI single and
Kianna Abellera RBI on a fielder's choice knotted the game, before the first of Valencia's 2RBI baseknocks.
Chico took advantage of a Toro error in their 2nd-inning at-bat to tie the contest, before Ramirez entered and shut the Wildcats down.
After tossing just 2.2 innings of work as a college freshman in the regular season and 1.0 inning in yesterday's loss, the San Jose native tossed 5.1 stellar innings of work, retiring 21 of the 22 batters faced.
The lone blemish came in the bottom of the 7th as Chico cut its deficit to 6-5 on a leadoff home run. But after the Wildcats loaded the bases on a Toro error, infield single and unintentional intentional walk, Ramirez induced a groundout to record the first win of her college career.
Abellera also enjoyed two hits on the day, adding a pair of runs scored in the process.
Tomorrow's elimination game will begin at 11 am, and can be seen on the CCAA Network.
