SEASIDE, Calif. — The Cal State Monterey Bay softball team didn't give up without a fight, but a big early deficit proved too much to overcome in a 12-8 loss to Humboldt State at the NCAA Division II West Regionals Saturday at the Otter Sports Complex.

The win ended CSUMB's second best season ever at 47-12 overall. Humboldt State (42–19) advanced to Saturday's late game, where it was eliminated by Montana State Billings, 5-2.

The Otters fell behind early Saturday as All-American pitcher Cori Reinhardt (Riverside Poly) was the victim of some early errors, allowing three unearned runs in the first inning. Humboldt eventually extended its lead to 6-0 by the third inning before the Otters roared back.

Reinhardt's bases clearing double to the gap in left center capped a 4-run third for CSUMB that cut the deficit to 6-4. But back-to-back homers by Tiffany Hollingsworth and Dani Randall pushed the Lumberjack advantage back to five runs at 9-4 in the next half inning.

The Otters had another rally in them. Senior catcher Nicole Pires (Ontario/Colony HS) started things off with a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth. After a 2-out single by Alissa Greenhaw (Galt/Cosumnes River College), Courtney Varela (Hawthorne/Torrance HS) hit a sinking liner that bounced at Randall's feet and skipped past the senior left fielder. That was all the opening the speedy Greenhaw and even speedier Varela needed to race all the way home to make it a 2-run game once again at 9-7.

A 3-run Humboldt sixth followed a scoreless fifth. Down 12-7, the Otters were able to pull only one run back on Madison Casto's (Sunnyvale/Homestead HS) 2-out double in the bottom of the seventh.