TURLOCK --- Cal State Monterey Bay gave up 11 runs in the first inning, mounted a furious comeback, but lost to CSU Stanislaus 14-9 on Sunday. The loss meant a sweep of the Otters/Warriors four-game series. Cal State Stanislaus, ranked No. 12 in the nation, improved its record to 21-5 and 14-2 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. CSUMB fell to 7-16 and 5-11.
Starter Adam Lanthier (1-1) gave up seven runs, six of them earned, without recording an out before he was lifted for Daniel Bifano. Lanthier allowed just one hit, but walked six. Bifano finished the inning, giving up four more runs, and then Charles Grosser pitched the next four, giving up just two in the second inning. Matt Costa (1-2) earned the victory, pitching 5 2/3 innings and giving up four runs, two earned.
It looked like Bifano might get the Otters out of the first inning with just four runs on board. He struck out Tom Long, the first batter he faced, and the next batter, Jeff Bellotti, hit a sacrifice fly to foul territory in right field, but three straight hits, including a double by David Contreras and a triple by Dennis Wolfe, a hit batsmen and another single by Jake Oketani ran the score up in a hurry, as the Warriors took
an 11-0 lead.
Not to be outdone, the Otters started the top of the second with three hits and a walk. The hot-hitting Andrew Marquardt, who entered the game batting .406, led off the inning with a double. Shea Davis also doubled later in the inning to drive in a run, and Cal State Monterey Bay suddenly showed life with the score 11-4.
But the Warriors got two of those runs back in the bottom of the second when Bellotti led off with a single and scored on a double by Contreras. Contreras came home on an RBI single by Dennis Wolfe to make the score 13-4
Costa retired the next 11 of 13 batters, but the Otters would bang out 11 hits on the day, scoring four
runs in the second, two unearned runs in the sixth and three in the eighth to make the score 13-9 in favor of the Warriors. Cal State Monterey Bay sent the tying run to the plate in the top of the eighth, loading the
bases with one out, but Warrior reliever Andrew DeMott came in and got a strikeout and a groundout to end the threat.
CSUMB travels to Chico this week and will play the Wildcats on Friday at 6 p.m., on Saturday, a doubleheader, at noon, and then finish on Sunday with a game at noon.
