CARSON, Calif. -- A monster day at the plate from senior first baseman
Brian Morley (Carmichael/Jesuit HS) and rock solid pitching performances from
Jeffrey Ahern (Anderson HS) and
Connor Fabing (San Benito HS) led Cal State Monterey Bay to a 10-5, 9-2 doubleheader sweep of Cal State Dominguez Hills Saturday at Toro Field.
Morley continued to do damage against the Toros, finishing Saturday's twinbill 6-for-7 with two doubles, a home run, two runs scored and seven RBI. He almost single-handedly beat Dominguez Hills in the opener with six RBI and his team-leading fifth homer of the season.
CSUMB also got a pair of clutch pitching performances Saturday afternoon. Ahern came on in the sixth inning of the opener to quiet a Toro rally. He finished the game with 3 1/3 scoreless innings of 3-hit, 4-strikeout relief to improve to 2-0.
Fabing made his first collegiate start in the nightcap and made it a memorable one. He scattered six hits and allowed just one earned run to earn his first win of the season. Junior
Parker Fokken (Chaffey College) closed the game with an inning of shutout relief.
GAME 1 WAS OVER WHEN… Brian Morley's 3-run bomb to left center broke open a 6-5 game in the ninth inning.
GAME 2 WAS OVER WHEN… an RBI double by
Mason Allen capped a 6-run seventh inning that broke open a 3-2 game.
SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST… The Otters have saved their best for when it's counted the most so far in the Dominguez Hills series. CSUMB scored 10 runs in its final at bats Saturday to blow open a pair of 1-run games. The Otters have combined to score 16 runs in the final three innings in winning the first three games.
PILING ON… The Otters have scored 32 runs over the first three games of the series at Dominguez Hills. It marks the second time this season they have opened a series averaging 10 or more runs through the first three games. CSUMB scored 38 runs (12.7 rpg) in taking the first three from Cal State L.A (Feb. 22-23).
MAKE IT A DOUBLE DOZEN… Junior right fielder
Kyle Dean ran his streak of reaching base safely to a team season-high 24 games Saturday. Dean did not have a hit, but he drew a pair of walks and twice was hit by pitches. It's also worth noting that
Kyle Czaplak ran his streak to 16 games with a hit and two walks. Czaplak's is the second-longest streak by an Otter in 2019.
LEADERS OF THE RAFT… Connor Fabing (W [1-2], 6.0 IP, 6 H) 1 ER, 2 K, 3 BB); Jeffrey Ahern (W [2-0], 3.1 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 4 K, 0 BB);
Brian Morley (6x7, 2 2B, HR [5], SB, 2 R, 7 RBI);
TJ Dove (5x8, SF, 3 R, 3 RBI);
Mason Allen (2x4, 2B, SF, R, 2 RBI);
Nick Sheehan (3x8, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI);
Kokko Figueiredo (3x10, 2B, 2 R, RBI).
THEY'VE GOT NEXT… The Otters conclude their 4-game series at Cal State Dominguez Hills with a Sunday single game. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m.
GO OTTERS!
