SEASIDE, Calif. – The No. 12-ranked Cal State Monterey Bay baseball team put together a balanced ballgame in all three phases, getting the job done with the bats, stellar pitching, and flashing the leather in a 10-2 series-opening victory over Stanislaus State, Thursday afternoon at the Otter Sports Complex.
 
Drew Aguiar set the tone with a solid performance on the mound, scattering seven hits over seven innings while allowing two runs and striking out eight to earn the win and improve to 5-2.
 
Giovanni Costello was flawless in relief, pitching a perfect two innings with two strikeouts to close out the game.
 
Offensively, the Otters struck early when Bobby Benavidez launched a solo home run to right-center to lead things off in the first inning. The real damage came in the fourth, when CSUMB erupted for six runs.
 
Andrew Lehmann's double down the right field line capped the rally with a three-run knock, highlighting an inning that put the game out of reach.
 
Kyle Olimpia added to the offensive display with a two-run home run in the sixth inning, extending the Otters' advantage to the final 10-2 score.
 
Lehmann led the Otters with two hits and four RBIs, while Benavidez contributed two RBIs and two runs scored. Olimpia finished with two RBIs on his home run, and James Starkus added two hits and two runs scored.
 
The two teams will meet for a doubleheader tomorrow, with first pitch of game one scheduled for Noon.
 
**As of this writing, Cal Poly Pomona was still playing. A Broncos loss hands the Otters a share of the regular season title, which would be a CCAA record fifth in a row**