College roundup: Otters to play for conference tournament title
LOS ANGELES — Late inning magic has Cal State Monterey Bay on the brink of adding another milestone to their resume.
The Otters rallied for four runs in the eighth inning Friday to knock off San Francisco State 7-6 — the second time in six days they have beaten their Northern California rivals — to advance to Saturday’s California Collegiate Athletic Association title game.
Having become the first baseball team in 52 years to win four straight CCAA regular season titles, the Otters are chasing their third straight tournament title.
“We have an experienced group that has been through tournament play, where we’ve had numerous comeback wins,” said CSUMB coach Walt White. “This group takes it as a challenge, and they never shied away from big moments.”
There are 28 seniors on the Otters roster that have been a part of the last two tournament titles.
The Otters, who scored nine runs over three innings on Thursday in a 12-9 win over Chico State, will see San Francisco State again — 14-8 winners over Chico State — on Saturday in the double-elimination tournament at Cal State, Los Angeles.
The Gators, whose program is shutting down after the season, would have to beat the Otters twice.
Last year CSUMB fell to San Francisco State in the second game of the tournament, then rallied to beat them twice to win the CCAA tournament championship.
A win Saturday could give the Otters (35-16) an opportunity to host the NCAA Division II West Regionals. Last week they defeated San Francisco State on the last day of the regular season to capture the conference title.
Starring at a 6-3 deficit in the eighth inning, Jimmy Garcia changed the complexion of the game with one swing, clearing the bases with a clutch two-out, three-run double to tie it.
“Jimmy brought the game back in our favor today,” said White, who has won over 400 games in his career at CSUMB.
Jacob Dressler followed with a single to drive in Garcia to break up the tie. White put the game into the hands of Monte Vista alum Aidan Lee, who tossed two scoreless innings of relief to pick up the save.
Lee, who brings a 97 mph fastball, allowed just one hit, while striking out two. Daniel Flores kept the game close for the Otters with 2.1 innings of scoreless relief to pick up the win.
“Daniel was the key to the comeback,” White said. “He held San Francisco in check, enabling us to creep back into the game. Aidan was lights out.”
The first seven hitters in the Otters lineup all had at least one hit, with Cole Murchison collecting three, and Garcia and Dressler two apiece.
College softball
San Mateo 3, Hartnell 0: The Panthers are in a must win situation on Saturday after falling in the opener of a best-of-three series to host San Mateo in the second round of the 3C2A Northern Regional playoffs.
Hartnell, who upset higher seeded Sacramento City last week in the first round, mustered just three hits against its conference rivals in dropping its third straight game this spring to San Mateo.
The Panthers Charlee Hoover was matching zeroes in the circle through five innings with 24 game winner Nohemi Livingston before San Mateo touched the hurler for three runs in the sixth.
Hoover, Alexandra Lopez and Kalea De Leon all had hits for the Panthers, who will face San Mateo at noon on Saturday, with hopes of extending their season and forcing a second game later in the day.
Modesto 6, MPC 2: A five-run third inning was too big of a deficit for the Lobos to make up, falling in the first game of a best-of-three series to host Modesto in the second round of the 3C2A Northern Regional playoffs.
MPC (19-19) cut into the Modesto’s lead in the sixth inning with Celeste Camarena driving in two runs. Jordan Chiewpanich added two hits and scored a run. Johana Alonzo and Katarina Manuofetoa also had hits.
The Lobos advanced to the second round after stunning Sequoias with an extra inning win in the third and deciding game last week.
