BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2 | BOX SCORE 3

TURLOCK, Calif. — The No. 16 Cal State Monterey Bay softball team entered the opening day of the Tournament of Champions at Pedretti Park with its top two pitchers nursing injuries. No problem for the Otters, however, as seniors Caitlin Wallace (Beaverton, Ore./College of the Redwoods) and Jessica Moon (Torrance HS) came out of the bullpen and combined to allow just one run in three games.

The one run they did allow was costly, however, as Hawaii Pacific scored in the first inning of the opener and held on for a 1-0 win. But the Otters didn't allow another the rest of the day, with Wallace throwing her first two collegiate shutouts in wins over Northwest Nazarene (5-0) and Grand Canyon (8-0).

Wallace fanned a season-high nine in her five-hit shutout of NNU. She scattered seven hits in blanking Grand Canyon.

Moon, meanwhile, was even better after a rocky first inning against HPU. The Sea Warriors scored without a hit in the first on a pair of walks, a hitter batter and a sac fly. She ended with a four-hit complete game, but the offense couldn't scratch across a run in support of her gem.

Speaking of offense, freshman first baseman Nina Villanueva (San Diego/Mt. Carmel HS) continued to rip the cover off the ball, finishing the day 5-for-8 with a double, her team-leading eighth home run, five runs and three RBIs. She now has 41 RBIs this season, only three off the Otter record of 44 set by Shea Olds in 2009.

Jessica's twin sister Jamie Moon (Torrance HS) matched Villanueva's five hits while sophomore designated player Nikki Rodriguez (San Jose/Evergreen HS) added five RBIs, including four in the win over Grand Canyon.

After out-hitting HPU 5-4 in the opening game loss, the Otter offense gave Wallace all the support she would need with a three-run third against Northwest Nazarene. Villanueva's RBI single opened the scoring and her solo home run leading off the fifth capped it.
    
Villanueva wasted no time against GCU, following Angelina Orozco's (Clovis East HS) leadoff single in the first and a Skyler Valdivia (Beaumont HS) sacrifice with a sharp single up the middle to give Wallace all the support she would need.

The Otter defense also did its part. CSUMB entered the week leading the nation in double plays turned and added three to its total Friday, including two in the win over GCU.
    
CSUMB will conclude pool play Saturday with games against Hawaii-Hilo (1:15 p.m.) and Central Washington (5:45 p.m.).