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SAN MARCOS, Calif. - No. 3 seed Cal State Dominguez Hills scored four unanswered runs to rally back and knock No. 1 seed Sonoma State out of the 2024 CCAA Softball Tournament with a 4-3 victory. (May 2)
The Seawolves (30-18) took a 3-0 lead on Giana Hays' three-run homer in the top of the third. CSUDH answered immediately with one in the bottom of the third before cutting the deficit to one on
Mariah Ramirez's single in the fifth.
The score remained 3-2 as Sonoma kept the Toros off the board in the sixth but could not add any insurance runs against Ramirez, who threw her second complete game in as many days.
In the bottom of the seventh, leadoff batter
Alexis Aguado started the inning with a single before
Jay Ross drew a walk to put the go-ahead run on base. Ramirez's fly ball to right allowed both runners to move into scoring position with one out.
Kaylee Hull then worked a walk to load the bases and bring
Mireya Rico to the plate.
On the first pitch Rico saw, the ball got away from the catcher, and Aguado raced home with the game-tying run. Rico would get the pinch runner
Mia Ayala in from third four pitches later when she put the ball in play to the shortstop, and Ayala beat the throw home as the game-winning run.
Ramirez (22-6) earned the win, going seven innings and allowing six hits and three runs. She walked three and struck out five. Sonoma State used a trio of pitchers in the game, with
Bailee Reed and
Charlie Johnson each going 2.2 innings.
The top three hitters in Sonoma's order,
Anna Zoia-Buescher,
Rylee Nishimoto, and
Giana Hays, provided five of the team's six hits and all three runs.
Cal State Dominguez Hills will advance in the elimination portion of the bracket. The Toros will face the loser of Cal State San Marcos and Cal State East Bay on Friday, May 3, at 2:30 p.m. for the right to play for the 2024 CCAA Softball Championship. CSUDH is the defending conference tournament champions. With the loss, Sonoma State is eliminated.