SEASIDE, Calif. — In a grueling battle that lasted nearly five hours, the No. 14 Cal State Monterey Bay baseball team fell just short in a 14-inning affair, losing 5-4 to Azusa Pacific on Saturday.
 
Azusa Pacific jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first, but the Otters responded in the second when Xander Sielken roped a two-run single to right-center, scoring Noah Zertuche and Michael McQueen.
 
After falling behind 3-2 in the third, the Otters fought back in the eighth. Jason Del Villar sparked the rally with a leadoff walk and eventually scored on a clutch, two-out RBI single by Andrew Lehmann to tie the game at 3-3. Lehmann raced down the line to prevent an inning-ending double play that eventually was reviewed and upheld.
 
The drama continued in extras, starting in the 10^th as APU took a 4-3 lead, but CSUMB answered immediately in the bottom half. After JJ Kinnaird entered as a pinch runner and moved to third, he scored on a balk to knot the score at 4-4.
 
The stalemate finally broke in the 14th. After loading the bases, Jacob Freer drew a bases-loaded walk to provide the go-ahead run for the Cougars. The Otters got a two-out single from Bodee Goins in the bottom half, but were unable to bring him around.
 
APU out-hit CSUMB, 16-5, as Noah Lane went 5-for-7 for the Cougars. Five different Otters banged out hits on the afternoon. Defensively, catcher Conner Smith put on a clinic behind the plate, picking off a runner at first and throwing out two would-be base stealers. 
 
The Otters will remain home and welcome nationally-ranked Northwest Nazarene for a four-game series. The series opener is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 12, with first pitch at 2 p.m.