SEASIDE, Calif. — A towering 2–out, 2–run double from
Hayden Duer (Davis HS) proved to be the last in a sequence of heroics that resulted in an epic 15–inning, 12–11 walk–off Otter win over CCAA leader Chico State Friday afternoon at the Otter Sports Complex.
The game was the second longest baseball game in CSUMB (12–3, 6–3 CCAA) history, trailing only a 7–6, 16–inning win over Cal State San Bernardino on Feb. 26, 2012. It was the longest game in Chico (12–5, 8–3) history.
Duer's blast to the wall in left center field was just the last in a long line of big plays in the game. Centerfielder
TJ Dove (River Valley HS/Yuba CC) hit a leadoff homer to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth to after Chico had scored twice in the top of the inning to take a 9–8 lead of its own.
Dove's 1–out single in the bottom of the 15th sparked the winning rally and was part of a 5–hit day in which he became the first player in CSUMB history to hit for the cycle.
A Dove double and a
Ruben Gonzalez (Murrieta Mesa HS) triple plated a pair to erase an early 2–0 Chico lead in the third. After the Wildcats reclaimed the lead with a 2–run fourth, the Otters exploded for six runs in their half of the frame, with Duer's first double of the game getting things started and Dove's bases–loaded triple doing maximum damage.
Chico chipped away before eventually taking the lead in the ninth with the help of an Otter throwing error and a wild pitch. But Dove's leadoff blast to left center in the ninth forced extras, where the pitching trio of
Alex Van Es (Rio Mesa HS/Ventura College),
A.J. Banuelos (Soledad HS/MPC) and
Jeffrey Ahern (Anderson HS) quieted the Wildcats until the 15th.
THE GAME WAS OVER WHEN OVER WHEN… Hayden Duer crushed a 2–out, 2–1 offering from Chico reliever Andrew Schantz to the wall in deep left center to plate
Max Sanderson and
Myles Hager with the tying and game–winning runs.
DOVES RIDES THE CYCLE… TJ Dove became the first player in CSUMB history to hit for the cycle when he went 5–for–7 with two singles, a double, a triple and his second home run of the season. He hit his double in the third inning, his triple in the fourth and his home run in the ninth. He added singles in the 13th and 15th.
DOUBLE THE PLEASURE, DOUBLE THE FUN… The Otters scored in double figures for the seventh time in 15 games this season by hanging 12 runs on the Wildcats Friday. To add some perspective to that, the CSUMB record for most games with double–digit runs in a season is 12, by the 2015 and 2016 squads. The Otters have 35 regular season games remaining to chase that record.
ON A ROLL… Kyle Czaplak went 1–for–6 with a pair of walks Friday to raise his hitting streak nine games, the longest active streak on the team…
Max Sanderson,
TJ Dove and
Jacob Tonascia have now reached base safely in all 15 games this season.
LEADERS OF THE RAFT… TJ Dove (5x7, 2B, 3B, HR, 3 R, 5 RBI);
Hayden Duer (3x7, 2 2Bs, 3 RBI);
Ruben Gonzalez (3x7, 3B, 2 R, RBI).
THE LAST WORD… "Anytime you play extra baseball and come away with a win, it's a good day. We didn't play our best, but we stayed in the fight and competed. There were a lot of standout moments for some individuals, but the take away from this game was the competitive spirit of our entire team. We knew coming in that this series would be a challenge and Game 1 proved it. The next three games will be three more tests." —
CSUMB Head Coach Walt White
THEY'VE GOT NEXT… The Otters continue their 4–game set with Chico with a doubleheader against the Wildcats starting Saturday at 11 a.m.
GO OTTERS!
