FRESNO – The No. 7-ranked Cal State Monterey Bay baseball team took down Fresno Pacific on Friday evening at Dan Martin Stadium by the score of 15-4. The Otters posted a seven-run fourth inning to run away from the Sunbirds in the series opener.
 
From the first pitch, the Otters' bats were alive, mixing timely power with aggressive hitting to overwhelm the Sunbirds and claim the win on the road.
 
CSUMB erupted for five runs in the second inning, setting the tone early. Conner Smith led off the scoring with a towering solo home run to left center that put Monterey Bay on the board.
The offense didn't slow down, as a succession of run-producing hits — including an RBI single by Bodee Goins and an RBI fielder's choice by Nick Maestas — helped CSUMB jump ahead 5-0.
 
An RBI single by James Starkus and an RBI knock by Andrew Lehmann extended the advantage, and Monterey Bay took a commanding 5-0 lead into the middle innings.
 
The Otters kept pressure on in the third, with Jason Del Villar launching a solo home run to left that made it 6-0. Cal State Monterey Bay tacked on additional runs in the fourth, starting with Sielken's RBI that made it 7-1, followed by Del Villar's second RBI of the game to push the margin further.
 
Noah Zertuche and Maestas fueled a huge inning with a three-run triple, driving in Bodee Goins, Del Villar and Kyle Olimpia to balloon the lead to 12-1 before the Sunbirds could answer.
 
In the eighth inning, Alonzo Guijarro's two-run double brought home both Goins and Aidan Mowins, sealing the 15-4 final margin.
 
Offensively, Monterey Bay collected 14 hits on the night, led by three hits each from Xander Sielken and Jason Del Villar, each driving in multiple runs. Del Villar's long ball and Maestas' bases-clearing triple were among the highlights of a potent offensive night. Conner Smith finished with three total bases and an extra-base hit of his own, while Lehmann and Olimpia both contributed key run-scoring knocks.
 
On the mound, Hayden Hall earned the win with a strong start, going five innings while allowing just one earned run. Hall struck out four and limited the Sunbirds to minimal damage before the bullpen helped close out the contest.
 
The two teams will meet tomorrow for a doubleheader that will start at Noon.