BOX SCORE SEASIDE, Calif. – History was made on Sunday at the Otter Sports Complex as the Cal State Monterey Bay baseball team earned the program's first CCAA sweep with an 11-4 victory over No. 23 Sonoma State.
 
The Otters reached double digits in the hit column for the 17th time on the season to down the Seawolves for the fourth straight game.
 
CSUMB improves to 24-10 (16-8 CCAA) overall, just two wins away from tying the program wins record set last season. The Seawolves fall to 21-13, 13-11 in conference play.

"It is very difficult to win a game in our conference, let alone sweep a team like Sonoma State," said Head Coach Walt White. "I couldn't be more proud of the way we competed this weekend. Our whole roster contributed, we played with a lot of energy, and we stayed focused throughout the series."
 
Junior A.J. Quintero (Vacaville/Sacramento City), the CCAA saves leader, earned his sixth after tossing four shutout innings to close the game. Senior Jordan Helmkamp (Aliso Viejo/Saddleback College) picked up his second win of 2013 after only three innings of work. 
 
Senior Jason Merjano (San Ramon/Sierra College) went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs and an RBI.  Senior Victor Rasor-Thompson (San Diego/Univ. of San Diego) went 2-for-3 with three runs and two RBIs. 
 
In the first inning, CSUMB scratched out two runs without the benefit of a hit or an error.  Both teams posted single runs in the second on two hits each to make it 3-1 CSUMB.
 
A six-run fourth inning gave CSUMB a 9-1 cushion.  With seven hits, the frame was highlighted by Rasor-Thompson's 2 RBI triple off the right field wall.
 
Sonoma State put together three runs on two hits in the fifth on Scott Templeton's 2 RBI single and a passed ball that plated Garrett Schwartz.
 
The Otters added two more insurance runs in the sixth.  Rasor-Thompson leadoff with a single, stole second and reached third on a SSU fielder's choice throwing error. Senior Tommy George (Elk Grove) connected on a sacrifice fly to plate Rasor-Thompson.  Merjano followed with an RBI double to make it 11-4.
 
SSU's Matt Manfre took the loss after three and one-third innings, giving up four runs on three hits. 

"We still have a lot of baseball to play and a lot to prove, but we have put ourselves in a great position for the stretch run," White said. "We will get back to practice this week and prepare for Cal State San Bernardino in another difficult road test."
 
The Otters embark on their final four-game road series next weekend, traveling to San Bernardino to face the Coyotes.