RIVERSIDE, Calif. — If it's going to win the title, Cal State Monterey Bay will have to do it the hard way after dropping a 14–2 decision to CCAA rival Cal Poly Pomona in the winner's bracket of the NCAA Division II Baseball West Regional Friday night at Totman Stadium.
Cal Poly (38–17) advances in the winner's bracket to face host Cal Baptist. CSUMB (34–20) will play a rematch with Dixie State in an elimination game Saturday at 3 p.m. The winner of CSUMB/Dixie will play the loser of Cal Poly/CBU at 7 p.m. for the right to play in the regional championship game.
Pomona starter Max Bethel (10–4) was masterful in this one. He fanned 11 Otters over eight innings of 2–hit, shutout ball. The Bronco offense gave him more than enough support with a 3–run third inning followed by a 6–run fourth.
"Bethel had an amazing game and I don't think we played our best baseball tonight," said CSUMB Head Coach
Walt White. "You have to have a short memory in this game. It's only one loss."
The Otter offense finally solved the Bronco bullpen in the ninth inning. A sacrifice fly off the bat of
Josh Thorpe (Cabrillo College) and a bases-loaded walk drawn by
Josh Heinz (Santa Clarita/West Ranch HS) accounted for the two Otter runs.
Senior third baseman
Matt Urakami (San Jose/Branham HS) had two of CSUMB's four hits Friday night.
Garret Brown and
Jeffery Ahern each singled and scored in the late rally.
GO OTTERS!
