CARSON, Calif. — The No. 12-ranked Cal State Monterey Bay baseball team capped off the weekend by exploding for nine runs in the final frame to secure a 17-7 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills and complete the four-game series sweep. The Otters improve to 17-5 overall and 6-2 in CCAA play.
 
Junior right-hander Sonny Pena set the tone early, turning in a brilliant performance on the mound to earn his second win of the season. Pena dismantled the Toro lineup, surrendering just two hits – not a single one until the seventh in his best start of the season. He struck out six batters, including striking out the side twice.
 
The Otters held a lead for nearly the entire afternoon, sparked by Jason Del Villar's two-run home run in the second inning. However, a wild seven-run surge by the Toros in the seventh inning briefly threatened the outcome, cutting the CSUMB advantage to just one run at 8-7. The game remained tense until the top of the ninth when the Otter bats awoke for a relentless, game-deciding rally.
 
In a marathon ninth inning, Monterey Bay sent 14 batters to the plate to score nine runs and put the contest out of reach.
 
The onslaught was fueled by a combination of timely hitting and defensive lapses by the Toros. Conner Smith and Del Villar were the primary catalysts. Smith finished the day 3-for-4 with four RBIs, while Del Villar capped off a massive performance by going 4-for-4 with four RBIs and three runs scored.
 
Nick Maestas and James Starkus also added RBI singles during the frame to extend the lead. Andrew Lehmann collected two hits and scored twice atop the Otter lineup.
 
CSUMB returns home to host Western Oregon in a four-game series at the Otter Sports Complex. Game one is scheduled for Friday, March 20, with first pitch slated for 3 p.m.