WATCH HENNINGS' GAME-WINNING HOME RUN


TURLOCK, Calif.—Freshman Courtney Hennings (Pleasanton/amador Valley HS) came up big when it mattered most Friday night, hitting a 2-out, pinch-hit home run to lift Cal State Monterey Bay to a 4-3 win over Academy of Art to close Day 1 at the Tournament of Champions Presented by the City of Turlock.

Hennings came off the bench to pinch hit for shortstop Jayme Stark (La Quinta HS) with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Samantha Luna (Salinas HS/MPC) stood at third, pinch running for Chase Robledo (Camarillo HS), who led off the sixth with a single. Robledo was able to waltz home after Hennings drilled a 3-2 offering from Brenna Mitchell well over the fence for her fourth home run of 2016.

The blast came just in time too, as the Otters were four outs away from falling to an ArtU team coached by former Otter assistant Sonja Garnett. A half dozen Otters still remain from the last team Garnett coached at CSUMB.

The Otters jumped on top early, taking advantage of an error with an RBI single off the bat of Anneliese Lopez (Ventura/Buena HS) in the second. Stark doubled the Otter advantage when she scored on the back end of a double steal attempt in the third.

With senior Bianca Noriega (Camarillo HS) dealing in the circle, that lead seemed secure. But the Urban Knights stirred things up in the fifth, with a leadoff single to center, a bunt single and a blooper just inside the right field line priming the pump.

Noriega induced ArtU's best hitter, Mitchell, to ground to third to force the first out at the plate. She then coaxed another grounder off the bat of Brenna Youngquist. But instead of creating another force out at home, this one took a wicked hop over Stark's shoulder and rolled into no man's land in left center. By the time the dust settled, all three runners had scored.

Tori Pierucci (San Mateo/Hillsdale HS) came on in relief to get the final two outs without incident to end the inning. In fact, she tossed 2 1/3 innings of hitless relief—fanning three—to hold the fort until Hennings moon shot.

The Otters weren't nearly as fortunate in Friday's opener, a 3–0 loss to Hawaii Hilo. CSUMB crushed the ball through the first four innings, but didn't find its first hit until the fifth. The Otters finished with just two hits.

The combination of Pierucci and Noriega was arguably even more effective through the first five innings. But a walk, an infield single and a sacrifice set the table for a perfect squeeze bunt and a 1-0 Vulcan lead in the sixth. Following a stolen base, pinch hitter Maria Steadmon dribbled one up the middle to cap the 3-run rally that decided the game.

The Otters (16-16 overall) will continue play at the Tournament of Champions Saturday by facing Hawaii Pacific at 2 p.m. and Holy Names University at 7 p.m. The tournament continues through Sunday at Pedretti Park.