Will MacNeil

Baseball

Cal State Monterey Bay's season comes to an end in the NCAA Super Regional

[Game 1 box score] [Game 2 box score]

Cal State Monterey Bay fell to Point Loma twice on Saturday, 10-8 and 7-1, to end their season in the NCAA Super Regional.
 
It was a battle of the top two teams in the West, and the three games at the Super Regional were some of the year's best games. After Cal State Monterey Bay posted a comeback win on Friday night by scoring six runs in the top ninth, PLNU had to win two on Saturday to advance.
 
In an epic 13-inning game, the Sea Lions won the opener 10-8 before also taking the winner-take-all championship game 7-1.
 
Game 1
Cal State Monterey Bay scored four runs in the first and took a 7-5 lead into the ninth, but PLNU tied the game with a two-run home run in the ninth and scored two in the 13th to win 10-8 and force a winner-take-all game for the 2024 NCAA West Regional Championship.
 
The Otters had chances to win the game at the plate in the ninth, 11th, and 12th innings.
 
With one out and runners at first and second in the ninth, Nico Hartojo hit a deep ball to right field. The outfielder went back on it, and the runners had to hold to see if he would catch the ball. The ball didn't go out but hit high off the wall, and Hartojo was held to a single while the runners moved up to load the bases. The next batter, Cole Murchison, worked a full count before hitting a grounder to second. The fielder cut down the run at home on a force out before the rally ended on a ground out.
 
In the 11th, Murchison reached with two out and was pinch run for by Cody Borraggine, who stole second base. Solis came through with a two-out single to right. However, the ball was hit too hard and Borraggine was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.
 
In the top of the 12th, PLNU took a one-run lead on a double by Owen May but had a second run cut down at the plate on a fielder's choice. CSUMB answered with a run in the bottom of the 12th on an RBI groundout by JJ Engman.
 
Point Loma grabbed its first lead of the game in the 13th after the first two batters were hit by pitches. A sacrifice bunt moved them to second and third before Bryson Hashimoto brought in the go-ahead run on a sac fly. A bloop down the left field line would give the Sea Lions their second run of the inning.
 
Hartojo reached base on a single with one out in the bottom of the 13th, but the Otters were unable to rally for more.
 
Solis led the Otters by going 4-for-7. Hartojo added three hits, including a double. KW Quilici had a two-run homer as part of the four-run first inning. Engman drove in three runs, and Murchison had two RBI.
 
Game 2
Point Loma scored six runs in the fourth inning and got eight innings of one-run ball from Ray Cebulski to defeat Cal State Monterey Bay 7-1.
 
All six runs would score with two out in the fourth inning to break a 1-1 tie. The first came in on a double before three home runs extended the lead to 7-1.
 
Cole Murchison homered in the second inning to provide CSUMB with its first run. He finished 2-for-4. Leadoff hitter Chase Lindemann also collected a pair of hits.