By Jessica Olvera, Co-Sports Editor
The CSUDH softball team is off to a hot start to the 2020 season after coming away with a series split this past weekend at home to open up conference play against No. 6 UC San Diego, improving their overall record to 9-5 and 2-2 in conference action.
The Toros swept both games in Friday’s doubleheader. In game one, junior transfer Raquel Jaime hit a walk-off home run over the centerfield wall in extra innings to help give her team the 5-4 win. It was her first home run of the season. Junior pitcher Alyssa Olague earned the win as she threw the final four innings of the contest, giving up one run and striking out three. In game two, the pitching staff used a combined effort to hold off the Tritons to just one run as the team won 6-1.
The Tritons bounced back on Saturday to take game one, 9-5, and the second game, 2-0, in nine innings. In the first game, the Toros gave up 17 hits and found themselves with a 3-0 lead until the Tritons scored six runs in the fourth to take the lead. The Toros came back in the bottom the inning to make it a 6-5 game but the Tritons scored three insurance runs in the top of the sixth to take the lead for good.
In the last game of the series, Olague (7-3) had a solid performance on the mound throwing all nine innings and striking out five, but it wasn’t enough as the Tritons scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning to take the victory.
Olague has emerged as the ace and the consistent performer for the team as she leads the team in ERA (2.43), innings (57.2), strikeouts (53), and lowest opponent batting average (.240).
The Toros are set to continue conference play on the road against Cal State San Marcos for a four-game series starting on Friday, Feb. 21 at 12 p.m.
