SEASIDE, Calif. — No. 14 Cal State Monterey Bay flirted with disaster twice Sunday afternoon, pulling one game out of the fire to split a doubleheader with Cal State Dominguez Hills at the Otter Sports Complex. CSUMB rallied for three runs in the eighth inning to take the opener 8–7, but couldn't hold on to an early lead in a 2–1 loss in the nightcap.
CSUMB (25–8, 19–8 CCAA) looked like it was going to breeze in Game, 1, rolling to a 5–0 lead while
Colton Fletcher (San Jose/Westmont HS) no–hit Dominguez Hills through five complete. But the Toros scored three runs on two hits against Fletcher in the sixth then touched reliever
Jeffrey Ahern (Anderson HS) for four more in the seventh to take a 7–5 lead.
The Otters rallied back for three in the eighth to regain the lead.
Tano Garza's (Santa Rosa HS/Mendocino College) infield single tied the game before
Hayden Duer (Davis HS) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring home the winning run.
Connor Fabing (San Benito HS) faced the minimum in the ninth to earn his seventh save.
Ethan McRae (Hanford HS/Fresno CC) was masterful in Game 2, allowing just two runs on four hits while striking out 10. He appeared to be in line for ample support when
TJ Dove River Valley HS/Yuba CC) led off the first with a triple and scored on a
Jacob Tonascia (San Benito HS/Mission College) single.
Toro starter Nick Suniga shut the door from that point, however, throwing 6 2/3 innings of no–hit ball to finish the game. CSUMB had one final chance in the sixth inning after
Max Sanderson (Pleasanton/Foothill HS) walked then motored all the way to third on a failed pickoff attempt. Garza followed with a walk, but Duer popped out to end the threat.
GAME 1 WAS OVER WHEN OVER WHEN… Connor Fabing coaxed a 4–6–3 double play from Daryl Donerson to end the game.
GAME 2 WAS OVER WHEN… Nick Suniga picked off pinch–runner
Nicholas Napoli for the second out of the seventh inning. Napoli was running for
Ruben Gonzalez, who had walked to lead off the inning.
FABING SAVING… Sophomore
Connor Fabing earned his seventh save of 2018 in Game 1 Sunday. That mark ranks No. 5 in the CSUMB single–season record book. A.J. Quintero set the standard with 10 saves in 2013.
Kyle Narahara (2016 and 2017) and Harold Zosel (2012) are tied for the No. 2 spot with eight saves.
HE KEEPS ON ROLLING… TJ Dove kept his school record streak of reaching base safely by reaching three times in Game 1 and twice more in Game 2 Sunday. He has reached in 33 consecutive games, or, to put it another way, in every game of his Otter career.
LEADERS OF THE RAFT… TJ Dove (3x6, 2 2B, 3B, 2 BB, 4 R, RBI, 2 SB);
Tano Garza (3x6, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB);
Jacob Tonascia 2x7, RBI, SB);
Ethan McRae (7.0 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 10 K, 3 BB).
THEY'VE GOT NEXT… The Otters and Toros conclude their 4–game series with a single game Monday starting at 11 a.m.
GO OTTERS!
