Toros Post Two Wins on Opening Day of Easton Softball Tournament of Champions
Lisa Grove and Valerie Long Lead CSUDH to victories over St. Martin's and Montana State-Billings
April 2, 2004

Complete Box Scores
vs. Saint Martin’s       vs. Montana State-Billings

Modesto, CA --- Cal State Dominguez Hills juniors Lisa Grove (Buena Park, CA/Kennedy HS) and Valerie Long (Stockton, CA/St. Mary's HS) each threw complete-game victories as the Toros defeated both St. Martin's, 3-1, and Montana State-Billings, 7-3, on day one of the Easton Tournament of Champions, hosted by Cal State Stanislaus.

With the two victories, the Toros improve to 21-13-1.

The Toros started strong in their opening game, jumping to an early lead over St. Martins, the designated home squad. A St. Martin's error to begin the Toros' third inning proved costly as speedster Cindy Perry (Victorville, CA/Silverado HS) reached base and was driven home by a Crystal Dingman (Sunland, CA/Verdugo HS) single. Natalie Sharp (Whittier, CA/Cypress JC) followed Dingman's RBI with one of her own, giving the Toros a 2-0 lead, and then proceeded to drive in her second run of the game in the fifth inning to give CSUDH a 3-0 lead.

St. Martin's would score a run in its fifth-inning at-bat, but that would be the extent of their scoring as Grove shut them down the rest of the way, striking out seven in seven innings to pick up her eighth victory of the season (8-3).

Game two followed game one's lead as the Toros scored early to put the pressure on Montana State-Billings. After a Linda Reyes (Garden Grove, CA/Pacifica HS) walk led off the second inning, a triple by Grove and double by Jenny Funk (Long Beach, CA/SDSU) would give CSUDH a quick lead, and an Araceli Martinez (Downey, CA/Warren HS) sacrifice fly one out later would bring home Funk, giving starter Long a 3-0 cushion with which to work.

The Toros would add four runs over the next two innings, with key hits coming from Reyes, Funk, Dingman and Sharp, as they exploded with nine hits in the ballgame. Long did the rest, fanning 10 while scattering seven hits and allowing two earned runs to improve to a perfect 8-0 on the season.

CSUDH continues the Easton Tournament of Champions tomorrow as they battle Western Washington in an 11:15 a.m. contest, followed by a 3:45 p.m. showdown against No. 3-ranked Humboldt State, which split its two games earlier this afternoon.