BOX SCORE
SEASIDE, Calif. — Folk wisdom says it's better to be lucky than to be good. Tuesday afternoon, the No. 16 Cal State Monterey Bay softball team was both in a 3–0 victory over West Region rival Hawaii–Hilo at the Otter Sports Complex.

CSUMB (30–8 overall) was good in the circle, where senior Caitlin Wallace (Beaverton, Ore./College of the Redwoods) and freshman Cori Reinhardt (Riverside Poly HS) combined on a two–hitter, striking out seven Vulcans to help the Otters win their seventh in a row.

Trouble was, Hilo (16–17) also was very good in the circle. Vulcan senior Amber Waracka was on top of her game, facing just two batters over the minimum (a walk and an error) while carrying a no–hitter into the sixth inning. With two–no hitters and a perfect game on her résumé, CSUMB's future in this game looked murky at best.

Junior left fielder Angelina Orozco (Clovis East HS) took care of the no–hitter, however, leading off the bottom of the sixth with her NCAA leading seventh triple of the season to put the Otters in business. That's when the Otters got lucky.

After a Waracka strikeout, Nina Villanueva (San Diego/Mt. Carmel HS) hit a high fly ball to left field. Vulcan left fielder Amanda Nazario lost it in the sun, however, turning the fly ball into an RBI double.

Waracka then coaxed what would have been an inning–ending flyout from Jackie Serna (Corona HS). But the lost fly ball gave senior center fielder Jamie Moon (Torrance HS) a crack and she belted her second home run of the season to deep left to close the scoring.

Villanueva's RBI was her 46th of the season, moving her past Shae Olds (2009) for the CSUMB single season record. Moon's home run, meanwhile, was her 194th hit, tying her with Olds for No. 2 on the CSUMB career hit list. Ashley Trotter holds the record of 239 hits from 2006–09.

CSUMB returns to California Collegiate Athletic Association action Friday when it travels to Turlock to open a four–game set at Cal State Stanislaus. The Otters return home to host Chico State Tuesday, April 11, in a make–up doubleheader from a Mar. 24 rain out.