CARSON, Calif. – The Cal State Dominguez Hills softball team rebounded from a tough 1-0 extra-inning loss in Game 1 to take a dominant 6-1 victory in Game 2, earning a series split against Pace University on Monday at Toro Diamond.

Game 1:

In a tightly contested battle, both teams remained scoreless through seven innings before the Lions broke through in the eighth to claim a 1-0 victory.

Dominguez Hills' pitching staff was outstanding, holding the Lions to just four hits while striking out five. Ashley Ogata started the game with four shutout innings, allowing just two hits. Lillianna Garcia followed with three dominant innings in relief, before Alivia Holden took over in the eighth. The Lions finally broke the deadlock on a wild pitch, which allowed the only run of the game to score.

Offensively, the Toros struggled to generate momentum, recording just four hits. Jay Ross, Gandara, and Gomez each had singles, while Andrea Tellez added a late hit. Despite getting runners on base in multiple innings, Dominguez Hills was unable to bring them home.

Game 2: 

After a tough loss in the opener, the Toros responded in Game 2 with a powerful offensive display, scoring four runs in the sixth inning to pull away for a 6-1 win.

Kaylee Hull put Dominguez Hills on the board in the fourth with an RBI single to score Izabella Chavez. After the Lions tied the game in the fifth, the Toros quickly regained the lead in the bottom half when Andrea Tellez grounded out to bring home Mia Ayala.

The game broke open in the sixth. Jay Ross smashed a two-run triple, scoring Aguado and Gomez, before Mireya Rico followed with a two-run homer to center field to put the game away.

Garcia (8-1) earned the win in relief, tossing 2.1 innings while allowing just one run. Holden shut the door with two perfect innings to secure the victory.

Rico led the offense, going 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs, while Ross finished with a triple and two RBIs. Aguado and Gandara each had two hits, contributing to the Toros' nine-hit performance.

The Toros  hit the road for a CCAA matchup against Stanislaus State, with a doubleheader set for Friday, March 21, at 1 p.m.