SEASIDE, Calif. — A
Tano Garza (Santa Rosa HS/Mendocino College) RBI single in the sixth inning broke a 4–4 tie in the nightcap and led the No. 12 Cal State Monterey Bay baseball team to a split with visiting San Francisco State Saturday at the Otter Sports Complex.
SFSU surprised the Otters with an 11–3 victory in Game 1 before CSUMB took Game 2 6–2.
Not only did the win clinch a spot in the CCAA Tournament for CSUMB (33–12, 27–12 CCAA), but it extended the Otter lead over UC San Diego to 1 1/2 games in the CCAA race. It also reduces CSUMB's magic number for clinching its second CCAA title in six seasons to just three games.
Although Garza's single drove in the game–winner, junior center fielder
TJ Dove (Yuba CC/River Valley HS) had the day's big highlight when he laced a 2–out double to center field in the second inning of Game 2 to break the Cal State Monterey Bay record by hitting in his 19th consecutive game. Tommy George hit in 18 in a row in 2012.
Dove also had a pair of hits in the opener, but the Gators jumped to leads of 3–0 and 8–1 in that game to dampen the spirits of the Otter crowd.
CSUMB came to life early in the nightcap when consecutive doubles by
Jacob Tonascia (San Benito HS/Mission College),
Ruben Gonzalez (Murrieta Mesa HS) and Dove staked CSUMB to a 3–0 lead in the second inning. The Gators came back to tie the game at 3–3 and then again at 4–4 before Garza's game–winner.
Sophomore closer
Connor Fabing (San Benito HS) got the final four outs to earn his fourth win of the season.
GAME 1 WAS OVER WHEN OVER WHEN… Harley Lopez singled to cap a 5–run SFSU sixth inning that put the Gators on top 8–1.
GAME 2 WAS OVER WHEN… Connor Fabing got Harley Lopez to fly out to left with the potential tying runs on base in the seventh inning.
DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC… Saturday's Game 2 win — coupled with a UC San Diego 7–5 loss at Cal State L.A. — reduced CSUMB's magic number for clinching the CCAA title to three games. The Otters lead the Tritons by 1 1/2 games with a game in hand on UCSD.
SCOREBOARD WATCHING… Otter fans can be excused if they're keeping one eye on the field and another on their phones as scoreboard watching becomes their new favorite pastime. CSUMB finishes its season with a game against SFSU (20–19 CCAA) Sunday and a 4–game series with Cal State East Bay (19–20) next weekend. UCSD closes with a 4–game set versus Cal State San Marcos (14–24) next week.
BREAKING DOWN THE STREAK… TJ Dove is hitting .412 (33–for–80) during his current 19–game hitting streak. The streak includes 11 doubles, a triple and a home run. He has scored 20 runs and driven in 15 more. For what it's worth, the streak hasn't affected his fielding. He has handled all 52 chances without and error in center field over the last 19 games.
LEADERS OF THE RAFT… TJ Dove (3x7, 2B, R, RBI, 2 BB);
Ruben Gonzalez (2x5, 2 2B, 2 R, RBI);
Connor Caspersen (2x6, 3B, R);
Jacob Tonascia (2x7, 2B, 2 R);
Kyle Guerra 3x3, R, 2 RBI, SB).
THEY'VE GOT NEXT… The Otters conclude their 4–game series versus San Francisco State with a single game Sunday at noon.
GO OTTERS!
