LA JOLLA, Calif. -- With a need to get a split of the Saturday doubleheader, the Cal State Monterey Bay Baseball team did just that. The Otters were shutout for the second time in as many games in the first game of the day, taking a 5–0 loss. However, the bats came alive in the second game of the day as CSUMB put together 10 runs to take a 10–4 win.
UC SAN DIEGO 5, CAL STATE MONTEREY BAY 0UC San Diego blanked the Otters for the second consecutive game, holding CSUMB to six hits in game one of the twinbill. All four of the runs allowed by CSUMB starter
Cody Gappa (Corning, Calif. / Red Bluff HS) came in the third inning, highlighted by a two–RBI single by Justin Flatt. All four runs did not count against Gappa, however, after an error allowed a base runner early in the inning. Gappa was tagged with his fourth loss of the season (4–4).
Five different Otters recorded at least one hit, including two hits by
Myles Hager (Tarzana, Calif / Chaminade College Prep).CAL STATE MONTEREY BAY 10, UC SAN DIEGO 4The Otters woke up in the second game of the doubleheader smacking four home runs, including two by sophomore
Hayden Duer (Davis HS) en route to a 10–4 win.
The action started in the three–run second inning as
Curtis Gomez (Watsonville, Calif. / St. Francis HS) doubled in the first run in three games for CSUMB. Duer was the next man up and drove the 2–2 pitch over the left field wall for a two–run shot giving the gold and blue a 3–0 lead.
The offense continued to light up the scoreboard with four more runs in the third inning.
Kevin Davidson (Yucaipa HS) was awarded first base after trading a bruise for a base on the hit–by–pitch. After a stolen base and a fly out, Gomez lifted his third big fly of the season down the left field line, this time for two runs and a five run Otter lead. The Otters were not finished as Duer came up and hit his second long ball of the game. The Gomez–Duer homerun combo was the first time the Otters went back–to–back this season.
UCSD got two runs back in the bottom half of the third and one each in the fifth and sixth innings, but the Otters still carried a 7–4 lead. CSUMB got a run in the sixth inning and followed it up with a two–run seventh inning on Davidson's 10th homerun of the season.
Brett Hammond (Lake Forest, Calif. / El Toro HS) came in in bottom of the seventh to finish things up with a 1–2–3 inning to secure the 10–4 victory and doubleheader split.
Jeff Owen (Clovis East HS) got the start for CSUMB and got his fifth win of season (5–2) after allowing four runs on seven hits, while striking out four. Gomez and Duer each knocked in three RBIs while Davidson had two.
Chris Blanton (Burlingame HS) went 3–for–4 at the plate while four Otters scored twice.
Monterey Bay will play for a split of the series in Sunday's finalé. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. at Triton Ballpark.
Go Otters!
