BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2 Box Scores:  Game One  |  Game Two

CARSON, Calif. -- After being shutout in the opener 2-0, the Sonoma State softball team would make a late run in game two, scoring four runs in the final two innings, but it wouldn't be enough as 15th-ranked Cal State Dominguez Hills held on to complete the doubleheader sweep of the Seawolves, stealing a 9-5 win in the nightcap on Friday at Toro Diamond in Carson.  The Seawolves have lost seven of their last nine games, falling to 18-11 overall and 10-10 in the CCAA.  The Toros, meanwhile, improve to a perfect 22-0 at home this season with a 29-6 overall mark and 20-4 in conference action, maintaining a two-game lead over second-place UC San Diego.

Game One:  #15 Cal State Dominguez Hills 2, Sonoma State 0 -- Box Score

With two of the best pitchers in the CCAA squaring off against one another in the opener, one would assume it would be a chess match.  It proved to be just that between Sonoma State's Samantha Lipperd and Cal State Dominguez Hills' Lauren Harper, but it would be the host Toros to drew first blood.

In the bottom of the first inning, Lipperd retired the first two batters, but CSUDH's Jessica Hall launched a 1-1 pitch over the outfield fence to put the Toros up 1-0.  Still with two outs, Cal State Dominguez Hills managed to draw back-to-back walks before two wild pitches allowed the second Toro run to score to go up 2-0.

Lipperd began to settle in, allowing a hit in each of the next three innings before retiring the final nine CSUDH batters of the game to keep Sonoma State within striking distance, down 2-0.

Harper quelled the Seawolf offense for much of the afternoon, allowing just three hits in six innings of work in the pitcher's circle.  However, Sonoma State threatened in the fourth by loading the bases with just one out.  Harper came through in the clutch, though, inducing a pair of foul outs to strand three SSU runners on base.  It would be the only offensive threat for the Seawolves the rest of the way as Harper (14-4) and Stephanie Jiminez, who pitched the top of the seventh, combined to keep SSU scoreless in the Toros' 2-0 win.

Vanessa Currie, Skylynn Myers, Danielle D'Eccliss and Megan Konieczka each recorded a hit for the Seawolves, but nothing would come of them.  With the lack of run support, Lipperd suffered her fourth loss of the season, even after allowing just four hits and two runs to the third-best hitting team in the conference.  She added three walks and seven strikeouts in her six-inning effort.

Game Two:  #15 Cal State Dominguez Hills 9, Sonoma State 5 -- Box Score

After two scoreless innings to start the second game, the Seawolves broke through for a run in the top of the third inning, thanks to a leadoff home run by Keisi Chinen.

The Toros would punch right back, but four times as hard, plating four runs on two hits, one error and four walks to take the 4-1 lead, deflating the Seawolves' momentum for the time being.

The bats from both dugouts would fall silent again until Cal State Dominguez Hills brought home three more runs in the bottom of the fifth, all with two outs, thanks to five hits in the frame.  The Toros continued putting the pressure on reliever Ciara Becerril by loading the bases, but Becerril forced an inning-ending groundout, not before the Toros grabbed a 7-1 advantage.

Sonoma State began to rally in the sixth inning and it started with Myers' leadoff double, followed by Ali Palermo's home run to right field, cutting the deficit to four runs at 7-3.  Later in the inning, Samantha Beauchamp brought in a run on an RBI single to score Chinen to trail 7-4.

In the next half inning, Cal State Dominguez Hills answered right back, plating a pair of runs on a two-RBI double by Veronica Vazquez to give the hosts a comfortable 9-4 lead.

The Seawolves proved that they weren't done yet, even though they needed five runs to tie and six to take the lead with just three outs to work with.  D'Eccliss led off the frame with a single, followed by an RBI double by Currie.  Harper, the CSUDH starting pitcher in game one, then retired the next three SSU batters to secure the 9-5 win and Friday's sweep.

Lipperd suffered both losses on Friday, falling to 13-5 this season.  She tossed the first two innings and gave up three hits, four runs (three earned), four walks while striking out two before being replaced by Becerril in the third.  Becerril went on to allow eight hits and five runs in her four innings of work.

Offensively, Palermo and Chinen had two hits, including a home run by each.  Currie and Beauchamp each had a hit and an RBI as well.

Sonoma State and Cal State Dominguez Hills will wrap up the four-game series with a doubleheader on Saturday.  First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. at Toro Diamond in Carson and can be heard live on the Toro Sports Network at gotoros.com/live.