| BOX SCORE 2


SEASIDE, Calif. — For the first four innings of Cal State Monterey Bay's NCAA Division II West Regional opener against Montana State–Billings, it appeared as if the Otters were wasting too many scoring chances to pull out a win. After falling behind 4–1, however, CSUMB exploded for five runs in the fifth inning and six runs in the sixth to down the Yellowjackets via run–rule 12–4 at the Otter Sports Complex.

CSUMB (46–12) ranked No. 6 rationally, advances in the winner's bracket to take on Dixie State at 11 a.m. MSUB (32–17) will play UC San Diego in an elimination game at 1:30 p.m.

Senior shortstop Jackie Serna (Corona HS) had two hits to extend her hitting streak to 19 games, tied for the longest in the California Collegiate Athletic Association this season. Freshman P/2B Cori Reinhardt (Riverside Poly HS) and senior center fielder Jamie Moon (Torrance HS) drove in three runs apiece to pace the 15–hit Otter attack.

Junior right fielder Rose Harrington had two hits and scored two runs while senior second baseman Jenna Van Eykeren drove in a pair with a with a first–inning single.

The Otters left at least one runner in scoring position in each of the first four innings, breaking through only on Nina Villanueva's (San Diego/Mt. Carmel HS) 16th home run of the season. Villanueva's blast to straight away center broke Shae Olds' CSUMB single–season record and tied the California Collegiate Athletic Association record for RBIs in a season at 69.

Hers, however, was the lone big CSUMB hit until the fifth, when the Otters exploded for five runs on five hits. That proved to be enough support for Otter reliever Kylie Linnane (Salinas/Notre Dame HS) who pitched two perfect innings to record her 13th win of the season.

Now leading 6–4, the Otters put the game away in their next at bats. Freshman catcher Nicole Pires (Ontario/Colony HS) led off the sixth with a double and scored two batters later on Angelina Orozco's (Clovis East HS) second home run of the season.

A wind–blown double by Moon drove in two more runs and a Reinhardt knock plated her, setting the stage for Alyssa Rivera (Fontana HS) single up the middle, which drove in Reinhardt to end the game.

MSUB took an early 2–0 lead when Van Eykeren's soft liner just found its way over a leaping Serna to plate two. After Villanueva's homer cut that lead in half, a Nicole Colpron sac fly in the third and a Meg Harasymczuk double in the fourth expand the Yellowjacket lead to 4–1 before the Otter began their comeback march.

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Game 1: Dixie State 3, No. 24 UC San Diego 2

Dixie State (37–11) took advantage of some shaky UCSD (35–20) fielding to hand the defending national champion Tritons a 3–2 defeat in Friday's opening game. The Red Storm broke a 2–2 tie in the sixth without needing a hit.

Triton starter Camielle Gaito began the sixth by hitting Dixie third baseman Kelsey Mendenhall. Pinch runner Jaelle Judkins moved to second on a Courtney Sherwin bunt and to third on Marla Reiter's grounder to short. Anna Cue's chopper to first could have ended the inning, but the normally sure–handed Nicole Spangler could wrap her glove around it, allowing Judkins to score the game winner.

Cue finished the day with two hits, including her third home run of the season, to lead the Dixie State offense. Senior center fielder Kris Lesovsky and sophomore right fielder Caitlin Brown each had two hits to lead UCSD.