April 29, 2011

SEASIDE, Calif. - The Cal State Monterey Bay baseball team rallied to pull off a split with Cal Poly Pomona in today's doubleheader at the Otter Baseball Field.  The Otters fell 15-5 in game one before rebounding with a 10-2 victory in the nightcap.

Now within one win of tying a program record, the Otters are 18-25 overall and 15-19 in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) action while the Broncos (27-16, 20-15 CCAA) dropped to the fifth spot in the conference standing.

Junior #Chris Lopiccolo# racked up two home runs in his last at-bats in each of the game,  a grand slam in the opener followed by a two-run homer in the second game. Senior #Greg Fujii# led the Otters at the plate, going 6-for-8 with a triple, three runs and two RBI.  Junior #Danny Nelson# recorded three doubles to raise his season total to 19 and tying a CSUMB single season record.

Junior #Aaron Appino# picked up his fourth win of the season after five innings of work, giving up only one earned run and striking out four batters.

The Otters close out the series with Cal Poly Pomona tomorrow at 11 a.m. with a special ceremony for the five CSUMB seniors prior to the first pitch.

Game 1: CPP 15, CSUMB 5
Box Score

The Broncos scored first with two runs in the opening inning and followed it with another run in the third. 

Nelson got the Otters on the board with a RBI double to left center, bringing Fujii across the plate.

After adding another run in the fourth, CPP's offense exploded with seven runs on five hits in the sixth inning.   The Broncos went on to score four more runs in the final three innings.

LaPiccolo's grand slam came in the bottom of the ninth after the Otters recorded two singles and a walk to load the bases.

Game 2: CSUMB 10, CPP 2
Box Score

After giving up a single run in the first inning, the Otters evened it in their side of the frame.  Fujii led off with a triple bounced into the right field wall and then scored on Nelson's ground out to shortstop.

The Otters scored two runs in both the second and third innings to take a 5-1 lead. 

Following another Bronco run in the fourth,  sophomore #Tyler Young# connected on a bases loaded single to widen the game to 6-2. 

In their final time at the plate, the Otters posted the most runs to-date of the series with four runs on four hits.  Nelson racked up his 19th double to score two runs and LoPiccolo's ball went over the center field wall to make it 10-2 Otters.