SEASIDE, Calif. — Senior Day came quite literally for Cal State Monterey Bay Saturday as Otter seniors lifted CSUMB to a dramatic doubleheader split and series win over Sonoma State at the Otter Sports Complex. CSUMB walked–off the Seawolves 5–4 in eight innings in the opener before a late rally gave Sonoma an 8–4 win in the finale.
Senior pitcher
Celeste Villagrana (Anaheim/Howard College) came in to work out of a 1–out, runners on second and third jam in the seventh inning of the opener. With the Otters trailing 6–5 and down to their final out, she hit a laser over the fence in left center, forcing extra innings with her first career home run.
After Villagrana pitched a perfect eighth, senior designated player
Lusi Stanley (San Bruno/Howard College) lined a 2–out, 3–2 pitch out to left to give CSUMB the walk–off win.
With Villagrana in control in the nightcap, the Otters were within two outs of the sweep when three Otter errors and three Sonoma solo home runs allowed the Seawolves to rally for the doubleheader split.
Villagrana earned her 11th win of the season in the opener and finished the day allowing three runs with seven strikeouts in eight innings.
GAME 1 WAS OVER WHEN OVER WHEN… Lusi Stanley drilled a no–doubt homer to left to walk it off in the eighth inning.
GAME 2 WAS OVER WHEN OVER WHEN… Three Otter errors in a 4–batter span allowed the Seawolves to cap a 6–run seventh inning.
OTTER POWER… After ending the second longest homerless streak in school history (14 games) last Saturday in San Francisco, the Otters have now homered four times in their last five games.
A LITTLE BIT EXTRA… CSUMB's power wasn't relegated to the long ball this weekend. Otter bats pounded 10 extra–base hits (six doubles, a triple and three home runs) in taking 3–of–4 games from Sonoma State.
WORKING OVERTIME… The Otters played their eighth extra inning game of the season in Saturday's opener. They've won two in a row after dropping their first six.
BLACK AND BLUE AND BLUE AND GOLD… Add the color black to
Lusi Stanley's blue and gold uniform. The CSUMB senior got hit by pitches six times in four games against Sonoma State over the weekend
LEADERS OF THE RAFT… Celeste Villagrana (W [11–8), 8.0 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 7 K, 4 BB; 2x4, HR [1], R, 2 RBI);
Lusi Stanley (1x7, HR [2], 2 HBP, R, 3 RBI);
Courtney Hennings (3x6, 2 2B, 3 BB, R, 2 RBI);
Jessilyn Barrow (3x5, 3 R, SAC).
THEY'VE GOT NEXT… The Otters head to Humboldt to conclude the regular season with four games at Humboldt State Apr. 26–27.
GO OTTERS!
