CSUDH Splits Marathon Twinbill at SFSU, Taking Game One 4-2 in Nine Before Falling 3-2 in 11
4/22/2009 3:49:26 PM
San Francisco, CA -- Holding its CCAA and NCAA postseason destiny in its own hands, Cal State Dominguez Hills received clutch performances by ace Regina Farfan and Emiley McEwen (pictured) in game one's 4-2 9-inning win over San Francisco State, only to have a wild pitch score the game-winner for the Gators in the bottom of the 11th inning to preserve a split for the hosts.
The freshman sensation started the scoring in the first, belting a solo shot over the left field fence to break a 30-game homerless streak after going yard six times in the first 20 games of her college career.
The hosts tied the game in the second on a leadoff home run by clean-up hitter Lea Cardenas, only to have the Toros re-take the lead on a bases loaded fielder's choice by Liz Vazquez in the top of the fifth.
SFSU again knotted the game one inning later on a Toro fielder error, where it stood through regulation.
Scoreless after one extra frame, the Toros hit paydirt in the ninth with two runs on a Khryssi Steele one-out groundout with pinch-runner Michelle Miranda on third and a SFSU fielding error, providing an insurance run in the 4-2 win.
Farfan tossed her 19th complete game of the year in scattering five hits, retiring the side in order in four of her innings. Kristin Tanaka joined the Toro multi-hit parade with two of her own as CSUDH improved to 34-17, 16-9 CCAA with the win.
The Gators clung to a 1-0 lead heading into the Toros' final at-bat in the nightcap, until a Vazquez leadoff double gave CSUDH its first offensive life in the nightcap. A walk and a sacrifice later, Vazquez tied the game on a Farfan sacrifice fly, setting up what seemed to be a game-winning blast by Katie Garcia one inning later, only to see SFSU reply with its own home run in the bottom of the eighth to again tie the game.
That's where the score remained until the bottom of the 11th when a leadoff single, a walk and intentional walk loaded the bases with two out for the Gators, and a wild pitch from Farfan allowed the winning run to cross home plate for the split.
The Toros, now at 34-19, 16-10, and Gators resume their four-game set tomorrow at 1:00 pm, with major CCAA and NCAA postseason hopes at stake.