Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CARSON – The Chico State softball team tried to fire up its offense and establish some consistent pitching in Friday’s California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) opener against Cal State Dominguez Hills, but a veteran Toros squad – ranked No. 11 in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association preseason poll – took advantage of every opportunity given to them, paving the way to an 11-1 and 2-0 doubleheader sweep of the ’Cats at Toro Diamond in Carson.

With Friday’s losses, Chico State falls to 2-5 on the season and 0-2 in the CCAA. Cal State Dominguez upped its overall record to 10-2 and 2-0 in conference play.

Cal State Dominguez Hills lived up to its lofty national ranking in game one of the doubleheader, jumping on the Wildcats for nine runs in the first two innings. A three-run homer run by Christina Chavez put the Toros out in front in the bottom of the first, then a round-tripper with a runner aboard by Adriana Sanchez kicked off a six-run second inning to make it a 9-0 ballgame.

A Brittany Brenner solo homer in the bottom of the third inning extended the Toros’ lead to 10-0, but Chico State answered in the top of the fourth when Emily McEnaney doubled and scored on a two-out single by Amanda Cordeiro. Jamie Duran blasted a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth – the fourth big fly for Dominguez Hills in the game – and Karen Peterson came on in relief to retire the ’Cats in order in the top of the fifth inning to lock down the Toros’ 11-1 win. McEnaney had two of Chico State’s four hits in the losing effort.

The twinbill’s second contest featured an entertaining pitcher’s duel between the Wildcats’ Kayla McConnell and Stephanie Jimenez of the Toros. McConnell tossed one of the best games of her Chico State career, allowing no earned runs and just four hits in going the distance – but was victimized by two Wildcat errors in the bottom of the second inning which led to the only two runs Dominguez Hills could muster.

Unfortunately for Chico State, that would be all Jimenez would need. Staked to a 2-0 lead, the senior righthander retired 12 straight ’Cats after surrendering a second inning single to Taylor Hanamaikai. The Wildcats threatened in the top of the sixth when Alli Cook delivered a one-out triple, but she was stranded at third as Jimenez retired the next two hitters to wiggle out of the jam.

In the top of the seventh inning Chico State got the tying run to the plate with only one out, but Jimenez capped out a 12-strikeout performance by fanning Hanamaikai and Kayla Barber to end it, as Dominguez held on for the 2-0 victory and the doubleheader sweep.

Chico State and Cal State Dominguez Hills conclude their four-game series with a Saturday doubleheader slated to get underway at 11 a.m. You can follow the action online via Live Stats, with audio play-by-play provided by the Toros Sports Network. Both can be accessed through the Wildcat Athletics Website.

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CLICK HERE for online audio broacast