TURLOCK, Calif. -- Cal State Monterey Bay got a pair of strong pitching performances to earn a split on Day 2 of the Tournament of Champions Saturday at the Pedretti Sports Complex. CSUMB earned an impressive 2-1 win over Hawaii-Hilo in a twilight performance before falling to Western Washington 7-0 to close the evening.
Junior
Hayley Fein (Sparks, Nev./Spanish Springs HS) bounced back from a hard-luck loss Friday versus No. 5 Concordia-Irvine to allow just one run on seven hits against Hilo. Sacrifice flies by
Savanna Salyer Kovacs (Camarillo HS) in the first inning and
Aubrey Cousins (San Diego/Del Lago Academy) in the second provided her with all of the run support she would need.
Senior
Celeste Villagrana (Anaheim/Howard College) pitched better than the final numbers would indicate in the nightcap with Western Washington. She fanned four and allowed just two earned runs, but errors led to a 5-run second inning for Western and the Otters never recovered.
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GAME 1 WAS OVER WHEN… Hayley Fein coaxed a ground ball to short from Isabelle Mejia to end the game with the tying run on second base.
GAME 2 WAS OVER WHEN… A brilliant play by Western second baseman Kira Doan turned what looked like a run-scoring foul out into an inning-ending double play to end the first inning. Doan made a running catch in foul territory down the right field line, spun a 360, then threw a perfect strike home to catch speedy
Jessilyn Barrow on a bang-bang play at the plate. The play stole early momentum from the Otters and they never recovered.
A DOZEN WINS FOR FEIN… Hayley Fein earned her 12th win of the season Saturday versus Hawaii-Hilo. She joins Cori Reinhardt (4 times), Lindsey Clarkson and Jessica Boyle as the only players in Otter history to post three or more 12-win seasons.
COUSINS AND HENNINGS DOUBLE DIP… On a day in which hits were in short supply for the CSUMB (it combined for just 10 in two games),
Aubrey Cousins and
Courtney Hennings were the only Otters to hit safely in both games. Cousins finished the day 2-for-3 while Hennings went 2-for-6.
LEADERS OF THE RAFT… Hayley Fein (W [12-6], 1 R, 7 H, 3 K);
Aubrey Cousins (2x3, SF, RBI);
Courtney Hennings (2x6);
Shaye Felix (1x5, 2B, R);
Michaela Decker (1x3, 2B);
Jessilyn Barrow (2x6, 2B).
THEY'VE GOT NEXT… The Otters conclude play at the Tournament of Champions with a game against Hawaii Pacific Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
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GO OTTERS!
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