CSUDH Tosses Two Softball Shutouts Against Sonoma State, 8-0 and 4-0
Pitchers Lisa Grove and Valerie Long lead Toros to sweep
March 27, 2004

Complete Box Scores
Game 1       Game 2

Carson, CA -- Cal State Dominguez Hills juniors Lisa Grove (Buena Park, CA/Kennedy HS) and Valerie Long (Stockton, CA/St. Mary's HS) led the Toros to consecutive shutouts over visiting Sonoma State as CSUDH won both games of a Saturday afternoon doubleheader on Toro Diamond, winning game one by an 8-0 mercy run rule before taking the nightcap, 4-0.

With the sweep, CSUDH improves to 19-13-1, 13-12 CCAA, while Sonoma State falls to 11-25, 7-15 CCAA.

The Toros offense staked CSUDH game one starter Grove (7-3) to all the runs she would need in the bottom of the second inning, using sacrifice flies by Kim O'Hanian (Norwalk, CA/St. Paul HS) and Jenny Funk (Long Beach, CA/St. Joseph HS) to drive home Grove and Natalie Sharp (Whittier, CA/California HS), who began the inning with consecutive singles.

CSUDH would continue to key in on SSU starter Kelly Lazzini (6-8), knocking her from the game during a fifth inning run-fest in which they touched Seawolf pitching for five runs, the big blow coming on a two-RBI double by Crystal Dingman (Sunland, CA/Verdugo HS).

That would be all the support Grove would need in the opener, limiting SSU to two hits in extending her scoreless inning streak to 21.2 innings, dating back to a relief appearance at Cal State San Bernardino on March 6.

The Toros fired on all offensive cylinders, earning multiple hits from Cindy Perry (Victorville, CA/Silverado HS), Lori Moreno (Los Angeles, CA/California HS), Dingman and Sharp as they torched SSU for 10 hits in the contest.

Game two was a pitching duel through the first three frames, until the Toros opened the scoring in the bottom of their fourth inning. A Grove RBI double followed a Sharp single, plating pinch-runner Genvielle DeCicco (Fountain Valley, CA/Trabuco Hills HS), who hustled all the way from first to score, beating the relay throw on Grove's two-bagger.

An inning later, a Dani Proctor (La Crescenta, CA/La Crescenta HS) RBI singled plated Perry, who reached base as a hit batter, moved to second on a groundout and advanced to third on a stolen base.

The Toros added two more runs in the sixth inning, using a Kelli Rodriguez (Reseda, CA/Bishop Alemany HS) pinch-hit double, a Perry RBI triple and a Proctor RBI single to put the game away.

Long showed her mettle in winning her seventh game of the season (7-0), garnering her second shutout in as many days. She scattered six hits in the complete-game victory, fanning seven and issuing only one walk. The Stockton, CA, native grew stronger as the game progressed, retiring the final 8-of-9 Seawolves to face her, the only SSU batter reaching on a Toro error in the top of the final inning.

Perry, Proctor and Grove stroked two hits apiece in the nightcap, while Proctor's two RBI led the Toro run producers.

SSU's Lazzini and Lindsay Frey paced the Seawolves with two hits apiece, while Seawolf starter Isabel Banales threw all six innings to take the loss (5-9), allowing four runs on 10 hits.

The Toros travel to Rohnert Park, CA, next weekend to compete in the Easton Tournament of Champions before returning home to host Cal State Stanislaus and Cal State Bakersfield the weekend of April 9-10