POSTGAME INTERVIEW | GAME NOTES
SAN MARCOS, Calif. — Freshman Jordan Knutson (Medford, Ore./South Medford HS) tossed a 3-hit shutout and Abreanna Alba (Watsonville HS/Cabrillo College) homered for the third consecutive game to lead the Cal State Monterey Bay softball team to a 4–0 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills in their NCAA West Regional opener Thursday at the CSUSM Softball Field.
With the win, CSUMB (33–22 overall) advances in the winner's bracket to face No. 1 seed Cal State San Marcos (51–8) Friday at 10 a.m. San Marcos defeated Hawaii-Hilo, 9–1, in Thursday's opening game.
Dominguez Hills (36–23) will play Hawaii-Hilo in an elimination game Friday at 12:30 p.m.
Alba hit her 15th home run of the season — one off the school record — with
Kieley Ganaden North Salinas HS) on first base in the first inning to stake the Otters to a 2–0 lead. That proved to be all the run support Knutson would need, as the freshman righty was in control throughout.
The Otters added a run in the second inning when
Andrea DeJesus (Live Oak HS/West Valley College) stole second and came around to score on the play when catcher Dyoni Garcia's throw sailed into right center. They added a final insurance run in the fifth when
Malia Martin's (Warren HS/El Camino College) infield single plated
Ellie Escalante (Soquel HS).
Knutson allowed only four base runners, limiting the Toros to three singles and a walk. She allowed only one runner to reach second base when the Torors led the fifth inning off with a pair of singles. But the freshman quickly regained control and retired nine of the final 10 batters to secure her 13th win of the season.
THE GAME WAS OVER WHEN… Jordan Knutson coaxed three consecutive fly balls after allowing two base runners to lead off the fifth inning. She retired nine of the final 10 Toros to seal the win.
THE SULTANESS OF SWAT: Abreanna Alba moved to within one of CSUMB's single-season home run record by swatting her 15th round-tripper of 2026 in Thursday's win over Dominguez Hills. Only Nina Villanueva, who hit 16 in 2012, has hit more in one season in Otter history.
OTTERS OFF THE NCAA SCHNEID: For all of CSUMB's regular season success over the last decade-plus, the Otters had been in an NCAA Tournament slump. CSUMB's 4–0 win over Dominguez Hills Thursday was its first NCAA Tournament win since a 3–1 win over Cal Baptist in the 2014 West Regional championship game. The Otters had lost eight NCAA Tournament games in a row.
THE SULTANS OF SWAT: Abreanna Alba's home run in Thursday's win over Cal State Dominguez Hills was CSUMB's 48th of the season. That mark stand alone at No. 2 in the CSUMB record book. Only the 2009 team (57) hit more.
ANOTHER CLEAN SHEET FOR KNUTSON: Freshman Jordan Knutson threw a 3-hit shutout for her second consecutive start when she blanked Cal State Dominguez Hills Thursday afternoon. She shutout San Francisco State on a 3-hitter to close the regular season on May 2. It was Knutson's fourth shutout of the season, tying Kadence Nulick for the team lead.
EXTRA-BASE HITS: DOUBLES: Kieley Ganaden (5); TRIPLES: None; HOME RUNS: Abreanna Alba (15).
THEY'VE GOT NEXT… The Otters will take on host and No. 1 seed Cal State San Marcos in a winner's bracket game Friday at 10 a.m. The winner of that game will advance to Championship Saturday while the loser will play in a final elimination game Friday afternoon.
GO OTTERS!
