SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. --- #Ashlee Trotter# hit two homeruns and Cal State Monterey Bay earned a split and nearly a sweep of their doubleheader against CSU San Bernardino Friday, losing a lead late in the first game to fall 8-7 and then storming back to win 5-2 behind a complete-game effort by Angela Cabral.

CSUMB (13-10 overall, 8-6 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association) scored four runs in the fourth inning with a three-run homer by pinch hitter #Channing Peebles# and a #Megan Luna# RBI-double that scored Trotter to take an early 4-1 lead. But freshman pitcher #Noemi Torres# gave up four runs in the bottom of the fifth and two more in the sixth and San Bernardino took a 7-4 lead.

The Otters rallied and scored three runs in the top of the seventh, two of them on back-to-back homers by Trotter and Luna, to tie it. #Jennifer Farmer# (0-1) relieved Torres and got two of the first three batters out before giving up a single, a walk and another single to take the loss.

Cabral (6-4) held CSUSB (17-13-1; 8-4) to just two runs on six hits in the second game and the Otters broke a tie in the top of the seventh with a three-run rally, two of them on a Trotter double. Trotter also hit a solo homer in the fourth. Luna finished the day 5-7 with a run and 4 RBIs; Trotter finished the afternoon 4-7 with 3 runs, 4 RBIs.

The two teams meet again Saturday for another doubleheader. The Otters will be back home on March 20 to face CCAA powerhouse Humboldt State University.