AZUSA, Calif. -- The Cal State Monterey Bay baseball team proved they could win in a blowout and in a tight one–run game on Friday against Azusa Pacifc. The Otters swept the doubleheader by scores of 14–3 and 3–2, bringing them to an 8–0 record to start 2016.
GAME 1: CAL STATE MONTEREY BAY 14, AZUSA PACIFIC 3CSUMB wasted no time on Saturday, plating four runs in the top of the first inning.
Justin Flores (Fresno, Calif. / Clovis West HS) smacked his second home run of the season, driving in three runs in the process.
The Otters took a 4–0 lead into the fifth inning where they piled on five more runs highlighted by a
Myles Hager (Tarzana, Calif / Chaminade College Prep) three–run jack. The big fly was Hager's first of the season and took his weekend RBI total to five. The scoring was not done in the fifth inning, however. Already leading 9–0, CSUMB scored five more times in the eighth.
Chris Blanton (Burlingame HS) hit a solo shot to start the inning. Blanton was followed by RBIs from
Nick Vigo (Simi Valley HS), Josh Heinz (Santa Clarita, Calif. / West Ranch HS), and
A.C. Nunez (Corona, Calif. / Roosevelt HS), leading to 14–0 lead.
Azusa plated three runs in the bottom of the ninth, but it was too little too late as CSUMB closed the door for the 14–3 win. Starting pitcher
Jorge Alvarado was tagged with a no decision after only pitching four innings.
Jeffrey Ahearn (Anderson HS) notched his first win of the season (1–0) after three innings of one–hit ball in relief.
GAME 2: CAL STATE MONTEREY BAY 3, AZUSA PACIFIC 2Game two of Friday's doubleheader was a bit different than the first as CSUMB and APU combine to score just five runs. However, Hager's banner series continued as the sophomore hit his second home run of the day, and the season, to give CSUMB the 3–2 edge they would not relinquish.
Flores also continued his hot day, kicking things off with an RBI double in the first inning.
Hayden Duer (Davis HS) followed with an RBI of his own as the Otters got out to an early 2–0 lead. The Cougars answered right back with a two run big fly off the bat of Adrian Tovalin to knot things up at 2–2.
After two and two–thirds innings from CSUMB starter
Jared Koenig (Aptos HS), the bullpen was lights out. Head Coach
Walt White and the Otters got four and one–third shutout innings from the trio of
Drew Kozain (Redondo Union High School), Brett Hammond (Lake Forest, Calif. / El Toro HS) and
Kyle Narahara (Castro Valley HS) while allowing one hit. Kozain (1–0) earned his first win of the season, while Narahara (S,1) notched the two–inning save.
Monterey Bay will play for the series sweep on Sunday. First pitch of the series finalé is set for noon.
GO OTTERS!
