ROHNERT PARK, Calif. — A sparkling performance by Gabe Katich (Mt. Pleasant HS/Gavilan College) and another Hayden Duer (Davis HS) bomb earned No. 13 Cal State Monterey Bay one victory before the Otters quite literally walked their way to a doubleheader sweep of Sonoma State Saturday afternoon at Seawolf Diamond.

CSUMB improved to 31–10 overall and 25–10 in CCAA play. Depending on the outcome of Saturday's late games, they will carry at least a 2–game advantage in the loss column over UC San Diego into Sunday's action. 

Duer hit his CCAA–leading 13th home run of the season, tying the CSUMB season record both he and Kevin Davidson set in 2016, in the third inning of Game 1 and that proved to be all the support Katich and reliever A.J. Banuelos (Soledad HS/MPC) would need. Katich scattered five hits and fanned six in seven scoreless innings of work before Banuelos mopped up with two innings of 1–hit pitching.

Some sloppy Seawolf defense and sac flies by Darren Kriz (Chaminade Prep/College of the Canyons) and TJ Dove (Yuba City/River Valley HS) helped the Otters salt the game away.

CSUMB fell behind early in the 7–inning nightcap before consecutive 2–out doubles by D'Andre Sanchez (Whittier/La Serna HS) and Dove tied the game at 1–1 in the third. It stayed that way until the sixth when the Otters dodged one bullet but couldn't dodge another.

A hit batter and a pair of singles nearly broke the tie, but Kyle Guerra San Leandro HS) gunned down Matthew Richards trying to score from second. The reprieve was short–lived, however, as Anthony Clima greeted reliever Greg Steinbeck (San Benito HS) with an RBI single to give Sonoma a 2–1 lead.

Guerra chased Seawolf start Jackson Berumen with a leadoff single up the middle to open the seventh. Sonoma closer Grant St. Martin came in and got one out when Ruben Gonzalez (Murrieta Mesa HS) sacrificed Guerra to second and another out when he coaxed Sanchez to fly out to left.

That's when the walking began. St. Martin threw 11 consecutive balls at one point as he in order: hit Dove then walked both Max Sanderson (Pleasanton/Foothill College) and Duer with the bases loaded to bring home the tying and winning runs.

Connor Fabing (San Benito HS) came in to pitch a scoreless seventh for his CSUMB record–tying 10th save.
 

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GAME 1 WAS OVER WHEN… Darren Kriz drove home Hayden Duer with a sac fly to make it 4–0 Otters in the fifth inning. Sonoma never again brought the tying run to the plate.

GAME 2 WAS OVER WHEN… Hayden Duer drew a bases–loaded walk in the seventh to make it 3–2 Otters. Handing the ball to Connor Fabing has been a lock so far in 2018.

THE ENERGIZER BUNNY… TJ Dove keeps going and going. He extended his school–record streak of reaching base safely to 41 games (e.g. every game of his Otter career) with a single in Game 1 and a double in Game 2. He extended his hitting streak to a personal season–high 15 games.

OTTERS DIG THE LONG BALL… Hayden Duer homered for the second consecutive day to tie to Otter record for home runs in a season (13) that he and Kevin Davidson set in 2016. He increased his CSUMB career record for home runs to 36.

FABING SAVING A PERFECT 10… Connor Fabing recorded his 10th save of the season in Saturday's nightcap to tie A.J. Quintero (2013) for the CSUMB single–season saves record.

LEADERS OF THE RAFT… Gabe Katich (W 5–3), 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 6 K, 3 BB); Hayden Duer (3x7, 2B, HR (13), 2 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB); Max Sanderson (3x8, R, RBI, BB); TJ Dove (2x7, 2B, R, 2 RBI, SF).

THE LAST WORD… "Gabe threw really well in Game 1. He had fastball command and he was able to use his secondary pitches effectively. Our offense gave him some run support and we were able to take control of the game. Game 2 was a pretty good pitchers duel and some pretty strong defense to go with it.  Down by one, Guerra had a big lead off hit in the seventh. Then we were able to win the game late with patient at bats. With the lead, Connor was able to shut it down as he's done all year. Two big wins for the Otters. " — CSUMB Head Coach Walt White

THEY'VE GOT NEXT… The Otters conclude their 4–game set at Sonoma with a single game starting Sunday at 11 a.m.