SEASIDE, Calif. — After fighting tooth-and-nail to earn a split in Friday's opening doubleheader with UC San Diego, the No. 3 Cal State Monterey Bay softball team roared back to sweep the Tritons 7-1 and 8-0 (6 inn.) Sunday afternoon, earning a 3-1 series win from the perennial CCAA title contender.

CSUMB continued the best start in school history, improving to 13-2 overall and 6-2 in the CCAA. The wins lifted the Otters to within 1/2 game of CCAA leader Sonoma State (6-1), which played one fewer game due to a rainout versus San Bernardino Saturday.

UCSD dipped to 15-4 overall and 8-4 in CCAA play.

Triton pitching mostly quieted Otter bats when the teams played Friday afternoon, holding them to just five runs and eight hits total in the doubleheader. But after taking a day off due to rain Saturday, CSUMB's bats woke up to the tune of 15 runs and 22 hits—including six extra base hits—in Sunday's sweep.

Cori Reinhardt (Riverside Poly) and Bianca Noriega (Ventura/Camarillo HS) led the way, combining to go 7-for-9 with five runs and eight RBIs. The duo also combined for six walks and one hit batter.

Courtney Varela (Harbor City/Torrance HS) and Madison Casto (Sunnyvale/Homestead HS) also hit safely in both games. Varela finished the day 4-for-7 with a pair of runs while Casto went 3-for-7 with two doubles and three RBIs.

The opener began as a pitcher's duel between Reinhardt and UCSD senior Mo Omori. Both teams squandered early chances before the Otters broke through in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs, Reinhardt worked a full-count walk in front of Noriega, who hit a laser over the fence in right center for her fifth home run of the season.

Back-to-back doubles by Trina Solario (Manteca HS) and Nicole Pires (Ontario/Colony HS) to start the fifth opened the flood gates on a 4-run inning that gave the Otters control. That was all Reinhardt needed as she scattered six hits and didn't walk a batter to improve to 8-0 on the season.

Otters bats stayed hot in the nightcap, but junior pitcher Lindsey Clarkson (Fresno/Central HS) was the story. Clarkson spun a 2–hitter for her third shutout of 2015, fanning seven and walking just one while improving to 5-2.

An RBI single by Noriega opened the scoring in the third inning. The Otters added three more in the fourth on another run-scoring single from Noriega and bases-loaded walks to Reinhardt and Anneliese Lopez (Ventura/Buena HS). Casto doubled home a pair of runs in the sixth in front of Lopez, who singled off the wall in straightaway center to end the game via run rule,

The win was CSUMB's seventh run-rule victory in 15 tries this season.

The Otters will take a break from CCAA play for their next home games when they host Pac West Conference foe Dominican University Tuesday, Mar. 10 at the Otter Sports Complex. First pitch is scheduled for noon.