BOX SCORE Sonoma State 2, Cal State Dominguez Hills 1 -- Box Score

ROHNERT PARK -- George Asmus continued to shut down opposing lineups, firing a complete game in which he allowed just four hits and one unearned run, adding seven strikeouts to lower his conference-leading ERA to 0.28, helping the Sonoma State baseball team to a 2-1 victory over visiting Cal State Dominguez Hills in the series opener on Friday at Seawolf Diamond.  The Seawolves improve to 7-7 overall and 6-3 in the CCAA while the Toros fall to 9-10 (4-8 CCAA).

Asmus cruised through the first eight innings, not throwing more than 13 pitches in any frame prior to the ninth inning.  Of the four hits he allowed in the contest, two came by way of perfectly-placed bunts down the third base line.  The only hurdle Asmus had to overcome was three defensive errors that were made behind him, two of which were made in the top of the ninth inning.  In that inning, the Toros' Danny Haley reached on a throwing error with one out.  After Asmus induced the second out of the inning on a fly out to center field, he needed just one more for the shutout, but on a 2-2 count, CSUDH's Bubby Rossman reached on another defensive error, allowing Haley, who got to second on an Asmus balk during Rossman's at bat, to score from second and tie the game up at 1-1.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Seawolves were going to do everything they could to recapture the win for Asmus, and it began with a leadoff walk drawn by Justin Serrao.  Jourdan Weiks pinch ran for Serrao and eventually got to third base with a stolen base and a wild pitch on consecutive pitches.  Garrett Schwartz drew another walk and still with no outs and runners on the corners, Eric Ehlow delivered a game-winning sacrifice fly to center field, allowing Weiks to slide in for the walkoff run for Sonoma State.

Asmus got the victory and improved to 2-0 on the mound; he has now allowed just one earned run in 31.2 innings -- it is the best ERA in Division II among pitchers with more than 20 total innings pitched this season.  He tossed just 102 pitches in the complete game victory, with 21 of them thrown in the top of the ninth inning alone.

Up until the final frame, the Seawolves led 1-0 on an RBI single by Alex Crosby in the bottom of the fourth, scoring Serrao, but Toro starting pitcher Jeffrey Gogue nearly echoed Asmus' effort in his eight innings of work, allowing one run on just three hits, striking out six.  He gave way to Aaron Gray in the bottom of the ninth and it was Gray (1-2) that was tagged with the loss.

Despite the 2-1 win, Sonoma State was outhit 4-3 in the contest -- Serrao, Crosby and Wesley Wallace recorded the only three for the hosts.  Hayden Maurice had two of the four Cal State Dominguez Hills hits, both bunts.

Sonoma State and Cal State Dominguez Hills returns to the field tomorrow for a doubleheader, beginning at 11:00 am at Seawolf Diamond.