BOX SCORE SEASIDE, Calif. –The Cal State Monterey Bay baseball team held on to 5-3 series opener victory over Cal State San Bernardino Friday at the Otter Sports Complex.
 
The Otters improve to 10-5 and 3-2 in CCAA action while the Coyotes dropped to 5-5, 2-3 in conference play.
 
Staff ace Donny Medlinger (San Jose, Calif./Cal Poly SLO) (3-0) went 7.0 innings, giving up three runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and no walks.  Closer Harold Zosel (Pleasanton, Calif./San Jose CC) did not surrender a hit to earn his third save this season in one and a third innings of action.
 
“We played a very clean game defensively, our pitching was solid, and we executed offensively,” said CSUMB Head Coach Walt White. “Medlinger gave us another strong start and Zosel was able to finish another close game.  One of the keys to the game was our ability to answer back with runs each time San Bernardino got close.”
 
Juniors Jason Merjano (San Ramon, Calif./Sierra College) and Brian Haggett (Hollister, Calif./Sacramento State) both registered two hits for the Otters.
 
For the seventh time this season, the Otters saw its opponent get on the board first as a RBI double by CSUSB's Darren Dworak put the Coyotes up 1-0. 
 
The Otters retaliated in the third, putting together three runs on four singles. 
 
CSUSB's final two runs came from solo home runs by Dworak and Edwin Mendoza in the sixth and seventh respectively.

Junior Danny Nelson (Morgan Hill, Calif./San Jose CC) became the fourth Otter to go long this season with a solo homer in the seventh.  
 
“I am very pleased with our effort and I can see our progression as a team,” White said. “We are happy about this win, but we know this series is going to be difficult.  CSUSB is a good team and they compete.”  
 
The four-game series continues on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.
 
Note: Junior Tommy George (Elk Grove, Calif./Elk Grove HS) set a program career record in stolen bases, notching two today for a total of 28 in his three seasons.  Matt DeJesus (2008-09) was the previous record holder with 26.