CARSON, Calif. – Taking to the road for the first time this season, the Cougar softball team broke the opening game open with a two-out outburst en route to a 6-0 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills before dropping game two by a 4-1 final.

Game 1: Azusa Pacific 6, Cal State Dominguez Hills 0

Katie Korstrom was her usual outstanding self in the circle, tossing a two-hit shutout while striking out seven batters, buying time for the offense, which got a few scattered hits early, but was unable to string enough of them together to make a dent in the scoreboard until the fifth inning.

In the top of the fifth, a single and a pair of Toro errors had loaded the bases with two out for Bella Fraser.  The second baseman came through with a two-run single.  Caitlin DeCanio followed with another single that doubled the lead, and the Cougars would add on with two more run-producing hits from Izzy Rivera and Korstrom.  Sommer Quinones had a pair of hits for the Cougars offensively.

Game 2: Cal State Dominguez Hills 4, Azusa Pacific 1

Game two saw the Toros remind everyone why they reached the national championship game last season, striking for two runs in the bottom of the first and never looking back.  The Cougars' best chance to draw even came in the third when they loaded the bases with nobody out, but we're turned aside with three consecutive ground ball outs.

Dominguez Hills would tack on two more runs in the fifth, while the Cougars would finally get on the board in the seventh via a Quinones double.  Jaelah Burrell has two hits at the catcher spot for Azusa Pacific, while Sydnie Sahhar threw 1.2 scoreless innings in relief.

Up Next: Azusa Pacific (7-5) now gets 11 days to rest and prepare for conference play, which will open with a four-game series against Academy of Art.  First pitch for game one against the Urban Knights is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on February 24 and can be livestreamed HERE.