Toros Capture First Ever NCAA Postseason Softball Win, 7-0 Victory over CSUB, Later Fall to Western New Mexico
CSUDH uses 6-run third inning to blow first game open; Natalie Sharp has two homers on the day
May 6, 2004

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CSUDH vs. CSUB       CSUDH vs. WNMU

Toros Capture First Ever NCAA Postseason Win, Earning 7-0 Victory over Cal State Bakersfield

Toros Softball Downed by No. 2 Seeded Western New Mexico, 6-2

Toros Capture First Ever NCAA Postseason Win, Earning 7-0 Victory over Cal State Bakersfield

Arcata, CA -- Cal State Dominguez Hills junior Valerie Long (Stockton, CA/St. Mary's HS) helped the Toros make school history as they won their first NCAA playoff game in school's history, throwing a 7-0 four-hit shutout to lead No. 6 seed CSUDH over No. 3 seed Cal State Bakersfield in the first round of the NCAA West Region on Thursday morning, hosted by No. 1 seed Humboldt State.

Junior Valerie Long threw a shutout at No. 3 seed CSUB in the opening game of the West Regional.

With the victory, the Toros improve to 33-20-1, and will take on No. 2 seed Western New Mexico this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. With the loss, CSUB falls to 44-19.

The Toros exploded for six runs in the third inning, stinging five hits and benefitting from a costly CSUB error. After Natalie Greco (Downey, CA/Warren HS) reached on a one-out fielding error by CSUB shortstop Renee Rubio, Cindy Perry (Victorville, CA/Silverado HS) and Lori Moreno (Los Angeles, CA/California HS) followed with singles, capturing momentum and opening the offensive floodgates. After Ally Williams (La Crescenta, CA/Crescenta Valley HS) drew a walk to give CSUDH a 1-0 lead, senior Dani Proctor (La Crescenta, CA/Crescenta Valley HS) followed with an RBI single, and after a Crystal Dingman (Sunland, CA/Verdugo HS) sacrifice fly, Lisa Grove (Buena Park, CA/Kennedy HS) hammered a line-drive double to center field, bringing home two more Toros for a commanding 5-0 lead. Natalie Sharp (Whittier, CA/California HS) followed Grove's double with an RBI single, scoring Taneisha Antoine, who entered as a pinch-runner.

That would be all starter Long would need as she kept the CSUB offense off-balance to pick up her 14th win of the season (14-2). She retired the side in order in five of the seven innings, helping herself defensively by spearing two line drives to preserve her seventh shutout of the season. The Stockton native fanned two batters against no walks, facing only 25 batters in her outing.

Says Long, "It was a complete team win. Pitchers are only as good as their catchers. It was a great game."

Sharp led the Toros with a team-high two hits and two RBI, including a one-out blast over the left field fence in the top of the sixth inning, her first long ball of the season. Grove tied Sharp with two RBI as eight Toro hitters contributed with at least one hit in the balanced win, with five Toros driving in at least one run.

CSUB's Rubio talllied two hits for the Roadrunners, while CSUB starter Christie Hill threw all seven innings in the hard-luck loss (19-10).

"The kids were ready," said CSUDH head coach Jim Maier. "We pitched well, we hit the ball, we played great defense, and those are the three aspects we always talk about as keys to victory."

Toros Softball Downed by No. 2 Seeded Western New Mexico, 6-2

Arcata, CA -- Cal State Dominguez Hills senior Natalie Sharp (Whittier, CA/California HS) blasted her second home run of the season as part of her two-hit day, the second time she went deep on the afternoon, but the No. 6-seeded Toros mustered little else against No. 2-seeded Western New Mexico starter Angela Slaugh as the Mustangs took a 6-2 decision over CSUDH in the West Region's final game of day one, hosted by top-seeded Humboldt State.

With the loss, the Toros fall to 33-21-1, while the WNMU improves to 42-11.

The Mustangs started quick against CSUDH starter Nina Distefano (Lakewood, CA/St. Joseph HS), using a triple sandwiched by two singles to take a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

After WNMU added another run in its next at-bat, the Toros got on the scoreboard to cut the deficit to 3-1. Sharp led off the third inning by smacking her first hit of the day, a double down the left field line. After pinch-runner Taneisha Antoine (Los Angeles, CA/Dorsey HS) replaced Sharp at second base, Cindy Perry (Victorville, CA/Silverado HS) followed with an RBI single to left center field to narrow the margin.

Western New Mexico, however, would add single runs in three of the next four innings to increase its lead to 6-1, but Sharp struck again in the top of the seventh, hammering a bases-empty two-out home run over the left field fence to provide the final scoring. The blast was Sharp's second of the day as she belted a home run against Cal State Bakersfield in the Toros' 7-0 victory earlier this morning.

Ally Williams (La Crescenta, CA/Crescenta Valley HS) garnered the only other hit off Slaugh as the Mustang hurled a complete-game victory to improve to 35-6.

Distefano threw 3.1 innings, allowing five earned runs, to take the loss (5-9).

WNMU's Danielle Harmon and Kyle Hicok led the Mustangs with two hits apiece, with Hicok picking up two RBI on the day.

The Toros face No. 5-seeded Seattle University, which fell 3-0 to San Francisco State this morning, on Friday morning at 9:00 a.m. in the first elimination game of the day.