SEASIDE, Calif. – The No. 7-ranked Cal State Monterey Bay baseball team split its doubleheader against Cal State LA on Saturday at the Otter Sports Complex. The Otters walked-off the Golden Eagles, 4-3, in the first game and dropped the second contest in extras, 8-7.
Game One
In the bottom of the ninth, the Otters relied on timely hitting and some Golden Eagle misfortune to seal the win.
Bobby Benavidez reached base on a single and eventually advanced to third, after a Nick Maestas sac-bunt and a Xander Sielken ground out. With two outs, Andrew Lehmann put the ball in play, and it was booted by the second baseman to enable Benavidez to score for the victory.
Drew Aguiar earned the win in relief, throwing two innings and striking out one. Andrew Kotin allowed two runs on seven hits and fanned two in his six-inning start.
The Otters jumped out to an early lead in the first inning when Sielken hit a leadoff single and was eventually driven home by a clutch RBI single from Kyle Olimpia.
Cal State LA managed to even the score in the third, but the game remained a pitcher's duel for much of the afternoon. Kotin was effective on the mound, keeping the Golden Eagles off balance across six strong innings of work.
The middle innings saw both teams trade blows, with Cal State LA briefly taking a 2–1 lead in the fifth. CSUMB responded immediately in the bottom of the sixth, manufacturing two runs to reclaim a 3–2 advantage thanks to a Noah Zertuche RBI single.
However, the Golden Eagles refused to go away, scratching across the tying run in the top of the eighth when Jonathan Manuel singled to center.
Lehmann was the lone Otter with a multi-hit game, batting 2-for-4 with a run scored and a walk.
Game Two
The Otters wasted no time in the opening frame, launching an assault that included two home runs. James Starkus started the scoring with a solo shot to left field, and after an Andrew Lehmann RBI single, Conner Smith cleared the fence with a two-run blast to give CSUMB a commanding 4–0 lead.
Cal State LA slowly chipped away at the deficit, scoring twice in the fourth and twice more in the sixth to knot the game at 4–4.
The Otters briefly regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth when Jason Del Villar hit an RBI double and Nick Maestas added a sacrifice bunt to make it 6–4.
The Golden Eagles responded again, tying the game in the seventh before Omar Gonzalez delivered the decisive blow in the eighth—a two-run home run that put Cal State LA ahead 8–6.
CSUMB attempted a late-inning rally in the bottom of the eighth, scoring one run on a fielder's choice to pull within one, but they were unable to find the equalizer in the final frame.
Smith led the Otter offense with a 3-for-4 performance, while Jason Del Villar contributed two hits and two RBIs.
On the mound, Daniel Flores provided four solid innings in the start, but the bullpen was unable to hold off the Golden Eagle bats.
The two teams will close the series tomorrow at Noon.
