Game 1 box score |
Game 2 box score |
Cal State Monterey Bay presser |
Azusa Pacific presser
Cal State Monterey Bay and Azusa Pacific split a twin bill on Friday to force a winner-take-all game on Saturday. The Otters opened the day with a 15-8 win and had the chance to put Azusa Pacific away, but the Cougars scored in each of the last three innings to earn a 6-5 win.
Game 1
In the opener, Cal State Monterey Bay scored in all but one inning to earn a 15-8 win over Azusa Pacific.
Chris Rubottom went 4-for-5 with a home run, two RBI, and three runs scored. He doubled in a run and scored in the second, and his home run extended the Otters' advantage to 5-0 after the fourth inning. They continued to tack on runs and led 10-1 after the top of the seventh.
Cal State Monterey Bay's starter Joseph Standley was cruising through the first six innings. He had allowed one run and six hits, but the Cougars' bats came alive in the seventh to score seven runs and cut the deficit to 10-8.
Home runs by Jacob Martin, and Jason Ajamian in the eighth and ninth pushed the Otters' lead up to 15-8.
Parker Fokken and Chris Tonna each pitched a scoreless inning in relief to secure the win.
The top three batters in Cal State Monterey Bay's lineup, Chase Lindemann, Brady Miguel, and Kyle Guerra, combined to go 9-for-16 with five RBI and seven runs scored.
Game 2
Home runs by Jason Ajamian, Carlos Drain, and Nico Hartojo helped Cal State Monterey Bay build a 5-3 lead after six innings. But the Cougars' bats would not stay quiet all game as they scored in each of the last three innings to earn a 6-5 win and force a decisive game three.
Ryan Platero started the game for Cal State Monterey Bay. He went 7.2 innings allowing eight hits and five runs (four earned). The right-hander walked one and struck out 11 before being pulled from the game after his final pitch was hit over the wall by Casey Dykstra to tie the game in the eighth.
The winning run scored on a sacrifice fly. The first two batters of the ninth reached for Azusa Pacific, and a sacrifice bunt moved them both into scoring position. On the first pitch of the at-bat, George Christison sent a fly ball to right field deep enough to drive in Casey O'Laughlin as the go-ahead run.
Dykstra then closed out the game on the mound for the one-run game for the Cougars with a scoreless ninth to earn his fourth save of the season and set up Saturday's winner-take-all game.
Next
The NCAA West Regional championship game at Azusa will be held on Saturday, May 21, with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.