LAS VEGAS — Apparently winning via the run rule for three consecutive games wasn't exciting enough for the No. 10 Cal State Monterey Bay softball team. So the Otters got creative Saturday on Day 2 of the Desert Stinger Classic at Majestic Park.

Sure the Otters won twice again via the run rule, but they found innovative ways to do it Saturday. They opened the day by defeating UC-Colorado Springs 17-4 in five innings, setting a school record for most runs in a game in the process. In their nightcap. They earned a key West Region win over Western Washington, 10-2. This time, Nicole Pires (Ontario/Colony HS) added a dramatic touch by sending the teams home with a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the sixth.

The Otters ran their streak of consecutive wins via the run rule to five, the longest such streak in school history. Their previous best had been three games set several times.

One streak that did come to an end was the pitching streak of not allowing an earned run. UCCS scored four times in the third inning to end that stretch at 25 1/3 innings.

On the other hand, homers by Pires versus Western and Bianca Noriega (Ventura/Camarillo HS) and Danica Arterburn (Sparks, Nev./Spanish Springs HS) versus UCCS ran the Otter streak of games with a home run to four.

Big innings continue to be the way for the Otters, who scored multiple runs in six of the 11 innings they played Saturday. Four the tournament, they's scored multiple runs in 11 of their 22 at bats.

They had innings of three, seven and eight runs in the win over UCCS as well as two, three and 4-run innings against Western.

Noriega and Cori Reinhardt (Riverside Poly) led the 17-hit attack against UCCS. Noriega finished 3-for-4 with a double, the aforementioned home run and four RBIs. Reinhardt went 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles, three runs and three RBIs. The Otters also got extra base hits from Madison Casto (Sunnyvale/Homestead HS), Lindsey Clarkson (Fresno/Central HS) and Alissa Greenhaw (Galt HS).

Pires went 3-for-3 with five RBIs to lead the offense versus Western. Courntey Varela (Harbor City/Torrance HS) and Vanessa Avila (Dana Point/Santiago Canyon CC) added two hits apiece.

In the circle, Reinhardt and Clarkson each picked up victories to improve to 3-0 on the season. Clarkson struck out four and allowed five hits in the win over UCCS while Reinhardt fanned one in a 4-hit effort versus Western.

The Otters will close play at the Desert Stinger Classic by facing No. 3 Dixie State in a rematch of last season's NCAA West Super Regional in which Dixie upset the No. 1 seed Otters to advance to the College World Series.