CSUDH Flexes Muscle in Softball Sweep of No. 16 Cal State Bakersfield
Pitchers Lisa Grove and Valerie Long each pick up 11th win of season in Toros' 6-2 and 5-4 victories; Grove and Kim O'Hanian both go yard for CSUDH
April 10, 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) each won her 11th game of the season as the Toros took two from No. 16-ranked Cal State Bakersfield, using home runs from Grove and Kim O'Hanian (Norwalk, CA/St. Paul HS) in a 6-2 game one win before staging a furious rally in the bottom of the sixth inning to win the thrilling 5-4 nightcap, sweeping the Roadrunners in a Saturday afternoon CCAA showdown on Toro Diamond.

With the wins, CSUDH improves to 27-14-1, 17-12 CCAA, while CSUB falls to 36-13, 19-9 CCAA.

Game one saw the visiting 'Runners take a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning off CSUDH starter Grove. The Toros, however, found their swing in an offensive third inning which saw them score four runs on five hits to take control of the game. After Jenny Funk (Long Beach, CA/St. Joseph HS) began the third inning with a leadoff walk, O'Hanian wasted no time in giving the Toros the lead as she hammered her first home run of the season over the left field fence to give CSUDH the lead for good. Cindy Perry (Victorville, CA/Silverado HS) continued the rally with a single, Lori Moreno (Los Angeles, CA/California HS) cashed her in with a double to dead center, and two batters later, a Linda Reyes (Garden Grove, CA/St. John's) single would plate Moreno with the final run of the inning, giving the Toros a 4-1 cushion.

Grove did the rest, allowing only one run and two hits the rest of the way to improve to 11-3 on the year. The junior scattered five hits in the contest and helped herself at the plate, hammering her fourth home run of the year over the left field fence to lead off the sixth frame.

CSUB starter Megan McDonough allowed six runs and 10 hits in the loss (9-3).

Perry led the charge with a 3-for-4 performance, while O'Hanian's blast drove in a game-high 2 RBI for the Toros.

Cal State Bakersfield took charge to begin the nightcap, taking a 3-1 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth frame against CSUDH starter Long. The Toros, however, again found their offensive rhythm, as Perry and Araceli Martinez (Bellflower, CA/Warren HS) were moved to second and third base, respectively, after each reached base to begin the inning. A Dani Proctor (La Crescenta, CA/La Crescenta HS) single would plate Martinez, and a Natalie Sharp (Whittier, CA/California HS) sacrifice fly, a Crystal Dingman (Sunland, CA/Verdugo HS) single and Grove single would provide the scoring as the Toros plated four runners in the frame to take a 5-3 lead.

The 'Runners would add a run in the seventh on a Christie Hill pinch-hit home run to right field, but Long would fan CSUB's Allison Amezcua swinging for the final out of the game, giving the Toros their fourth-consecutive win, and 11th win in their last 12 contests.

Long threw her 11th complete game in picking up her 11th win of the year (11-0), while CSUB's Amber Mills hurled six innings, allowing five runs and six hits, to take her first loss of the season (0-1).

Perry led the Toros offense with two hits and two runs scored, while Proctor contributed two RBI on the day.

The Toros travel to Grand Canyon and UC San Diego next weekend, before a six-day stint in Hawaii from April 22-26.

CSUDH returns home to play its final regular season home game on Saturday, May 1, as they host Cal State San Bernardino and complete the March 6 contest that was suspended due to darkness prior to playing the regularly scheduled twinbill. That makeup game will begin at 10:30 a.m.