BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2 FRESNO, Calif. – Cal State Monterey Bay (3-2) split Tuesday's doubleheader at Fresno Pacific (1-1), dropping the first game 6-3 before Steve Farnworth (Newhall, Calif./West Ranch HS), Zac Grotz (Burlingame, Calif./Burlingame HS) and Harold Zosel (Pleasanton, Calif/Amador Valley HS) combined on a three-hitter in a 5-2 nightcap win.
 
Farnworth (1-0) picked up his first collegiate victory with four hitless innings and eight strikeouts. Zosel picked up his second save of the year. Junior Tommy George (Elk Grove, Calif./Elk Grove HS) knocked in two runs with his second triple of the season in the nightcap.
 
“We played a complete game to earn a split against a very good Fresno Pacific team,” said CSUMB Head Coach Walt White. “Farnworth and Grotz gave us a dominant pitching performance tonight.
 
“It's a good look into the future for Otter Baseball.”
 
The Otters are back in action this weekend, hosting west regional opponent Central Washington in a four-game series beginning on Friday, Feb. 10 at 2 p.m. 
 
Game 1: FPU 6, CSUMB 3
 
The Sunbirds took a quick lead in the first inning, scoring on a CSUMB throwing error.
 
In the sixth, the Otters knotted the game at one-run apiece on senior Danny Nelson's (Morgan Hills, Calif/San Jose CC) RBI double to left center.
 
 With one out, the Otters broke up a squeeze attempt in the sixth. Nelson made a diving catch in the left center gap to get out of the jam.
 
CSUMB took its only lead of the game in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by third baseman Ronnie Fhurong (Hollister, Calif./San Benito).
 
The bottom of the seventh proved to be costly for the Otters as FPU scored four runs on only one hit, taking advantage of two CSUMB errors.  The Sunbirds added another run in their last plate appearance on Kevin Magill's double.
 
The Otters racked up one final run in the ninth on a bases loaded walk.
 
Junior Jordan Helmkamp (Aliso Viejo, Calif/Saddleback College) got a no decision after 4.0 innings of work, striking out five batters and allowing no earned runs.  Coming in relief, Dylan Auker (San Jose, Calif/VCU) picked up the loss.
 
Game 2: CSUMB 5, FPU 2
 
After taking a one-run lead, the Otters broke open the game in the sixth, scoring four runs to lead 5-0. CSUMB was paced by Nelson's second double of the day and a triple by George. 
The duo of Farnworth and Grotz held the Sunbirds hitless until the sixth when Alec Mehrten homered, scoring two runs.