No. 19 Toros Win CCAA Softball Championship Outright With 9-1 and 2-1 Sweep Over Sonoma State
CSUDH celebrates first crown since 1983 as it honors its five seniors on “Senior Day”
April 16, 2005

Complete Box Scores
Game 1        Game 2

Carson, CA -- The Toros’ pitching duo of Valerie Long (Stockton, CA/St. Mary’s HS) and Jackie Miller (Bremerton, WA/Central Kitsap HS/CS Stanislaus) has carried CSUDH all season, and today the pair again took care of business in the circle as the Toros swept past a game Sonoma State team, 9-1 and 2-1, officially draping the CCAA Championship in Cardinal Red and Gold on a sunny Saturday afternoon on Toro Diamond. With the wins, CSUDH sent its five seniors out in style while improving to 37-7, 22-4 CCAA. SSU, meanwhile, falls to 15-27-1, 9-14 CCAA.

It was Senior Day Saturday at the doubleheader with Sonoma State. Honored between games were (left to right): Valerie Long, Taneisha Antoine, Jenny Funk, Crystal Dingman, and Tracy Barrientos. CSUDH sports photo

With the score knotted at 1-1 heading into the bottom of the 3rd inning, the Toros took command of the game with the help of aggressive base running and a costly SSU error. After Crystal Dingman (Sunland, CA/Verdugo HS/College of the Canyons) drew a one-out walk and stole second, she advanced to third on a infield out. The hot-hitting Linda Reyes (Garden Grove, CA/Pacifica HS/St. John’s) would come up next and draw a walk, after which flex player Araceli Martinez (Downey, CA/Warren HS) would take first base. The two runners then proceeded to complete a double steal, which generated an additional run when the Seawolf shortstop committed a costly throwing error, allowing both runners to score.

CSUDH would put the game away two innings later by sending 10 batters to the plate and scoring six times to win via the run rule. Dingman again started the rally with a stinging double down the left field line with one out. After a throwing error allowed Dingman to score, another Reyes walk, a Miller single, a Jen Wilson (Orange, CA/Bellflower HS/CS Fullerton) 2RBI double, a Long single, a Jennifer Funk (Long Beach, CA/St. Joseph HS/San Diego State) walk, a Natalie Greco (Downey, CA/Warren HS) RBI infield hit, and another SSU error allowing Perry to reach set the stage for Dingman, who again came through with an RBI single up the middle, scoring Funk to give the Toros the 9-1 win.

Long continued her superb pitching, allowing just one hit in picking up her 17th win of the year (17-3). She fanned eight Seawolves against just one walk, retiring seven of the first nine batters she faced.

Dingman led the way with a 3-for-3 outing and three stolen bases, while Wilson’s two RBIs paced the CSUDH run production.

SSU’s Rachel Hutson tallied the only hit off Long, a double down the left field line in the 3rd inning to score Erika Campbell, who reached on a fielder’s choice. Kelly Lazzini threw 4.2 innings to pick up the loss (6-11).

The Seawolves took a 1-0 lead in the 3rd inning of the nightcap, courtesy of a Samantha Joubert lead off home run. The Toros would tie the game one inning later as consecutive walks to Miller and Pebbel Prestwood (Hesperia, CA/Sultana HS/CS Stanislaus) would prove costly. After pinch-runner Taneisha Antoine (Los Angeles, CA/Dorsey HS) entered for Miller, Greco executed the first of her two sacrifice bunts, moving the runners into scoring position. That pressure proved too much for SSU starter Isabel Banales, who uncorked a wild pitch enabling Antoine to scamper home.

The game remained tied until the bottom of the 7th inning, when Kate Groden (San Pedro, CA/San Pedro HS/SE Missouri Univ.) hammered a double to left field to lead off the frame. After advancing to 3rd on a wild pitch, Miller brought her home one out later on a sacrifice fly to shallow right-center, concluding the sweep and solidifying the Toros’ CCAA Championship.

Miller was stellar in the circle, scattering five hits in her complete-game victory to improve to 14-3, one day after out-dueling the reigning CCAA Pitcher of the Year in SFSU’s Sonja Garnett. Cindy Perry (Victorville, CA/Silverado HS) paced the offense with a 3-for-4 performance and her 37th stolen base of the season, breaking the single-season record she set just last year. SSU’s Banales also allowed five hits, but walked five Toros in picking up the loss (4-7).

The Toros bid farewell to Long, Antoine, Funk, Dingman and Tracy Barrientos (Bellflower, CA/Bellflower HS/LBCC), who all played the final home conference game of their careers. CSUDH travels to Bakersfield to compete in the Mountain Dew Classic, which features top teams from both the CCAA and the West Region. CSUDH returns home on May 4, to battle Biola University in a non-conference doubleheader, with first pitch scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. start.