'Runners, Toros Split Softball Games for Second Consecutive Day
March 23, 2003

Courtesy Cal State Bakersfield Sports Information Office

BAKERSFIELD, CALIF. - Cal State Bakersfield and Cal State Dominguez Hills split a key conference doubleheader for the second consecutive day Sunday afternoon, with Bakersfield taking game one 2-1 in extra innings before Dominguez Hills came back to post a 9-1 win in game two at the Roadrunner Softball Complex in Bakersfield.

The split leaves CSDH (17-6-1, 13-5 CCAA) in second place, one game ahead of third-place Bakersfield (21-13, 12-6). The biggest beneficiary of the splits Saturday and Sunday was California Collegiate Athletic Association leader UC Davis, who picked up a game in the standings on both teams without playing this weekend.

Sunday's twinbill was a mirror image of Saturday's. After dropping the opener in extra innings Saturday, the Roadrunners came back to win game one Sunday on Tara Licuanan's walkoff home run in the bottom of the 10th inning.

To its credit, Dominguez battled back just to force extra innings in the first place. Licuanan led off the CSUB sixth with a double and scored on Ally Webber's dropped fly ball to give CSUB a 1-0 lead. The Toros equalized when Courtney Woltz led off the seventh with a double and pinch runner Johana Orozco scored on Natlie Greco's grounder to third.

Dominguez Hills left no doubt in game two, capitalizing on a slew of CSUB miscues to score nine runs in the first three innings. The Toros broke the game open in the third inning, scoring six runs on just three hits with the help of two walks, a wild pitch and four Roadrunner errors.

Ironically, Melanie Herrington's wild pitch almost cut off the Toro rally without any runs scored. With Cindy Gates batting, one out and runners on second and third, Herrington uncorked one to the backstop that ricocheted hard off the concrete directly back to catcher Licuanan. Pinch runner Taneisha Antoine would have been out by 20 feet, but Licuanan dropped the ball and everybody was safe. Gates followed with a grounder to second that Carrie Hilvers misplayed and, instead of being out of the inning, the floodgates were open.

In the circle, Toro freshman Kim O'Hanian was outstanding early. She breezed through the first 11 batters until Licuanan broke up the perfect game with a two-out single in the third. Her shutout bid was spoiled in the bottom of the fifth when a two-out throwing error by Gates set up an RBI single by Lynn Kraftschik (Fremont/Irvington HS).

Licuanan and Kraftschik were the hitting stars of the day for CSUB. Kraftschik went 4-for-7 with a pair of doubles and an RBI while Licuanan was 3-for-7 with a double, a home run and two runs scored.

Webber was the only Toro to hit safely in both games, going 3-for-9 on the day including a 2-for-4 effort with a double, a run and an RBI in game two. Lori Moreno and Clarissa Parga each went 2-for-3 for CSDH in the second game.

Next up for the Toros softball team is a home doubleheader Wednesday (Mar. 26) with BYU-Hawaii. First pitch at 1:00 p.m.

Cal St. Dominguez Hills  000 000 100 0 - 1 5 1 
Cal St. Bakersfield      000 001 000 1 - 2 8 1
Note: No outs when winning run scored

Long and Flores; Kelly and Licuanan. WP - Erin Kelly (13-5). LP - Valerie Long (8-2).

HITTERS - CSDH: Natlie Sharp 2x4; Courtney Woltz 1x4, 2B; Cindy Gates 1x4, RBI. CSUB: Lynn Kraftschik 3x4, 2 2Bs, SB; Tara Licuanan 2x5, 2B, GW, walkoff HR (2).Note: No outs when winning run scored

Cal St. Dominguez Hills (17-6-1 overall, 13-5 CCAA)  216 00 - 9 7 1 
Cal St. Bakersfield (21-13 overall, 12-6 CCAA)       000 01 - 1 3 6

O'Hanian and Flores; Herrington, Hill (3) and Licuanan. WP - Kim O'Hanian (8-3). LP - Melanie Herrington (4-6).

HITTERS - CSDH: Ally Webber 2x4, 2B, run, RBI; Clarissa Parga 2x3, run; Lori Moreno 2x3, 2 runs, RBI, SB. CSUB: Lynn Kraftschik 1x3, RBI; Jenny Rios 0x1, run.