No. 10 Toros Ready For NCAA Softball Postseason With 9-0 & 9-1 Routs of GCU
Reyes enjoys 4-for-5 day at the plate, including 2 home runs and 5 RBIs as Toros slug six home runs on the day in regular season finale
May 6, 2005

Complete Box Scores
Game 1        Game 2

Carson, CA -- Junior Linda Reyes (Garden Grove, CA/Pacifica HS/St. John’s) made her first starts of the year at 3B, and proceeded to club two home runs and drive in five RBI as the Toros swept past Grand Canyon, 9-0 and 9-1, on Friday afternoon at Toro Diamond.

With the two wins, the Toros end the regular season at 45-10 and await both their destination and opponent for the NCAA Far West Regionals, while the Antelopes fall to 14-29-1 on the season.

Senior Crystal Dingman (Sunland, CA/Verdugo HS/College of the Canyons) and junior Pebbel Prestwood (Hesperia, CA/Sultana HS/CS Stanislaus) got the Toros off in the 1st inning, clubbing home runs to give starter Valerie Long (Stockton, CA/St. Mary’s HS) a 3-0 lead.

After CSUDH scored a single run one inning later courtesy of a Natalie Greco (Downey, CA/Warren HS) triple and Araceli Martinez (Downey, CA/Warren HS) sacrifice fly to deep center field, the Toros would put the game away in the 4th, scoring five runs to mercy the Antelopes. In the frame, Jen Wilson (Orange, CA/Bellflower HS/CS Fullerton) followed a Martinez walk with a home run to left-center to begin the deluge. After Kate Groden (San Pedro, CA/San Pedro HS/SE Missouri Univ.), Reyes and Prestwood reached to load the bases, a Jackie Miller (Bremerton, WA/Central Kitsap HS/CS Stanislaus) groundout and the second ‘Lope error of the frame would plate the final three batters, giving the Toros the 9-0 shutout.

CSUDH starter Long was stellar, allowing only one hit in picking up her 20th win of the season (20-4). The Stockton native grew stronger as the game progressed, retiring the final 10 GCU batters she faced. Long finished with three strikeouts on the day, giving her 184 on the season, a CSUDH single-season record.

GCU’s Alex Hawley tossed four innings to take the loss (5-11), while Heather Keepers managed the Lopes’ sole hit, legging out an infield single in the 2nd inning.

In the nightcap, Reyes stepped to the offensive forefront, enjoying a 3-for-3 afternoon. With the game scoreless heading into the bottom of the 2nd, a Reyes single to left preceded a towering shot by Greco that clipped the flag in left-center field as it dropped beyond the fence for her first home run of the year.

The ‘Lopes would answer with one run in the 3rd, only to have the Toros answer with four in their 3rd inning at-bat. In that frame, after Miller drove home Groden with an RBI single, a Kelli Rodriguez (Reseda, CA/Bishop Alemany HS) base on balls set the table for Reyes, who connected for a bomb over the left-center field fence, giving the Toros a 6-1 cushion.

After the two teams exchanged bagels in the 4th, Reyes put the game away for CSUDH in the 5th, clubbing her second blast of the day, this time over the right-center field fence, to give the Toros their second-consecutive inning-shortened decision over Grand Canyon.

Toro starter Miller was solid in picking up her 18th win of the year (18-3). The Bremerton, WA native scattered nine hits, fanning one against one walk. Miller also helped herself at the plate with her RBI single, and was bolstered by Prestwood’s two hits and Greco’s two RBIs in the contest.

Michelle Farrell and Hawley paced GCU with two hits apiece, while Hawley accounted for the sole RBI. GCU’s Heather Dukes threw 4.1 innings on the afternoon in taking the loss (2-4).

The Toros end the regular season with a school-record 45 wins, and await their fate as the NCAA Softball Committee determines which institution will host the Far West Region Tournament that begins on May 12, as well as which schools will garner invitations to postseason play. Stay tuned to the CSUDH web site for up-to-the-minute coverage.