LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. -- The good news for Cal State Dominguez Hills was that its offense scored 12 runs in contests against Colorado Christian and Northwest Nazarene on day one of the West Coast Challenge.
The bad news was that its pitchers and defense allowed 22 opposing runners to cross home plate in respective 13-11 (10 innings) and 9-1 (6 innings) losses, snapping a modest two-game win streak and bringing CSUDH to 5-4.
Game one the Toro offense fire on all cylinders early and often, stroking 16 hits and scoring 11 runs in the opener.
Ashley Goodale led the charge with a 4-for-5 performance including her first triple of the year, driving in three runs while scoring two herself as one of five Toros to enjoy multi-hit efforts.
After allowing a pair of runs in CCU's first at-bat, the Toros answered with three runs with the first coming on the Goodale 3-bagger. The Cougars, however, answered themselves with a 7-run 2nd inning to take a 9-3 lead.
Savanna Kastigar, who roped a pair of hits, got the Toros one run closer by leading off the 2nd inning with her first long ball of the year, before CSUDH put up four runs in the 4th to get the Toros to within a run, courtesy of RBI knocks by
Makayla Bishop, Goodale,
Mireya Rico and
Torie Au.
Goodale came up huge again in CSUDH's 7th-inning at-bat, roping a single down the left field line to bring home pinch-runner
Mila Dolores from second base.
After both teams scored single runs in the 8th and 9th innings, CCU ended it in the 10th with two runs to account for the final scoring.
The Toro defense committed four errors in the loss, accounting for seven unearned runs for the Cougars.
The late game saw the Toros continue their offensive approach in the 1st inning, taking a 1-0 lead on a Dominguez blast over the right field wall.
The Nighthawks, however, would erase their deficit and take the lead for good in the bottom half of the inning, scoring four runs for a 4-1 lead.
NNU tacked on two runs in the 4th and 5th innings for an 8-1 lead, and added one more in the 6th to end the game on via the mercy run rule.
CSUDH managed just four hits in the contest, with its batters fanning five times and drawing two walks.
The Toros face Lubbock Christian University to kick off day two tomorrow at 2 pm, followed by a contest under the lights against Regis University at 7 pm.
