BOX SCORE SEASIDE, Calif. – Four Otters recorded three hits each as Cal State Monterey Bay earned a 17-10 series opener win over Cal State L.A. Thursday at the Otter Sports Complex.
 
Led by senior Danny Nelson's (Morgan Hill, Calif./San Jose CC) two doubles, the Otters broke the program's single game record with seven.
 
After taking a 2-0 lead in the first on a RBI single by Jared DeCastro's (Torrance, Calif./L.A. Harbor College) and Chris Lopiccolo's (Marina, Calif./UCSB) bases loaded walk. 
 
The Golden Eagles would match CSUMB's run total three times through the course of the next five innings.
 
The Otters finally pulled away in the bottom of the seventh, posting four runs on three hits and two CSULA errors.
 
After reliever Chris Neifert (Scappoose, Ore./Scappoose HS) retired the side, CSUMB extended their lead with three runs in the eighth.
 
Brian Haggett (Hollister, Calif./Sacramento State), Lopiccolo, Nelson and DeCastro notched three hits apiece.  Lopiccolo drove home a team-high four runs. 
 
Neifert tossed 3.1 innings with four strikeouts to earn his second win of the season. 
 
CSULA's Nick Rodarte crushed two home runs and Scott Masik hit the Golden Eagles' first triple of the season.
 
The Otters (18-17, 11-14 CCAA) continue the four-game series against the Golden Eagles (13-14, 9-12 CCAA) with a doubleheader scheduled for 11 a.m. on Friday.