CHICO, Calif. — The Cal State Monterey Bay softball team earned a split at Chico State for the second consecutive day Sunday, playing an almost mirror image of Saturday's doubleheader.

CSUMB took the opener 9–3 before Chico rallied from behind twice to take the nightcap 5–4. Saturday afternoon, the Otters lost 4–3 then came back to win 10–4.
Freshman Tori Pierucci (San Mateo/Hillsdale HS) earned her team–leading fourth win of the young season with a strong five innings in Game 1. She allowed five hits and struck out four.

Senior Bianca Noriega (Ventura/Camarillo HS) was a tough luck loser in Game 2. She tossed her second consecutive complete game in her third career start, but a pair of Otter errors led to three unearned runs.

Anneliese Lopez (Ventura/Buena HS) and Madison Casto (Sunnyvale/Homestead HS) each doubled as the Otters raced to a 6–0 lead in the opener. Chico pulled one back in the home half of the fifth, but bases loaded walks to Noriega and Marielle Valdez and a Jenae Coleman sac fly put the game out of reach in the sixth.

Courtney Varela singled, stole second and came around to score on a Noriega single to open the nightcap before a throwing error set up a 2–run Ari Marsh double in the bottom of the second to put Chico back on top.

Kaitlyn Garcia's first collegiate double plated two as the Otters rallied to retake the lead in the third. But another defensive misuce led to two more unearned runs for Chico in its half of the inning to knot the game at 4–4.

Desiree Gonzalez broke the tie the following inning with a 2–out solo shot. The Otters put two runners on base in both the fifth and sixth innings but couldn't push the tying run across.

Varela had a pair of hits in each game and added a pair of steals to lead the Otter offense. Noriega (2-for-5) and Coleman (2-for-6) were the other Otters to hit safely in both games.

CSUMB (7–8, 2–6 CCAA) returns home to host San Francisco State in a 4–game set beginning Feb. 26 at the Otter Sports Complex.