Jackie Serna drove in five runs and handled 15 chances flawlessly on opening day at the Best in the West Invitational Saturday.
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TURLOCK, Calif. — The Cal State Monterey Bay softball team hit with authority and got a pair of timely pitching performances to win two of three games at the first day of the Best in the West Invitational Saturday at Pedretti Park in Turlock.
CSUMB opened the season by defeating 2011 NCAA qualifier Metro State 5-1. The Otters then dropped a tough 6-5 decision to CCAA foe Humboldt State before capping the night with a 9-3 win over Western Washington.
The Otters will conclude the Best in the West Invitational Sunday with games against Dominican University and Cal State San Marcos.
CAL STATE MONTEREY BAY 5, METRO STATE 1
The Otters got a stellar debutante performance from freshman pitcher
Cori Reinhardt (Riverside Poly HS), who scattered five hits and fanned four Roadrunners in a complete game victory. Reinhardt also helped her own cause, tripling home a pair of runs in a decisive four-run fifth inning.
Angelina Orozco (Clovis East HS) and
Nikki Rodriguez (San Jose/Evergreen Valley HS) had two hits each while senior shortstop
Jackie Serna (Corona HS) added a pair of RBIs.
HUMBOLDT STATE 6, CAL STATE MONTEREY BAY 5
The Otters had plenty of opportunities but came up just short against the Lumberjacks, leaving 12 runners on base including seven in scoring position. CSUMB jumped on top early as Serna's two-run triple highlighted a four-run first inning. Humboldt scored a pair of run in the first, second and fourth innings to take the lead. CSUMB loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth, but Reinhardt's RBI walk was all they could muster from the threat.
Senior centerfielder Jaime Moon (Torrance HS) led the 12-hit Otter attack by going 3-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Reinhardt added a double and two RBIs.
CAL STATE MONTEREY BAY 9, WESTERN WASHINGTON 3
Sophomore pitcher
Kylie Linnane (Salinas/Notre Dame HS) fanned seven batters in a complete game six-hitter to earn the win.
Moon and freshman
Nina Villanueva (San Diego/Mt. Carmel HS) each had two hits and three RBIs to pace the 11-hit output. Villanueva's two-run double in the fourth opened the scoring and her two-out, run-scoring single capped a four-run fifth that sealed the win.