SEASIDE, Calif. — No. 12 Cal State Monterey Bay saw a golden opportunity to reduces it's magic number in the CCAA race to two games slip away late in a 14–10 extra–innings loss to San Francisco State Sunday at the Otter Sports Complex.

The magic number for CSUMB (33–13, 27–13 CCAA) sits at three with four games remaining this week versus Cal State East Bay. UCSD is 26–14 and has a 4–game series on tap with Cal State San Marcos.

At 25–17, Chico State could still tie CSUMB, but the Otters would win any potential tiebreaker with the Wildcats.

Sunday's game appeared to be in the bag after the Otters added a pair of runs in the eighth inning to take a 9–4 lead into the ninth. Closer Connor Fabing (San Benito HS), who last week tied the CSUMB record for saves in a season with his 10th, came on to start the ninth and, ostensibly, seal the win.

But Fabing was able to retire only one of the first seven batters he faced as SFSU pulled to withing 9–8 with the tying run on third. He made the pitch he needed to get the second out, but a miscommunication between second base and right field allowed a fly ball to drop to tie the game.

Another single put the go–ahead run on third and brought Brandon Granger (San Benito HS/Hartnell College) from the pen. Gator catcher Jason Hare then executed a perfect squeeze to put SFSU on top 10–9.

Granger escaped from there and the Otters tied it up in the bottom of the ninth on a Jacob Tonascia (San Benito HS/Mission College) single, a failed pick–off and a Ruben Gonzalez (Murrieta Mesa HS) sac fly. But a walk and a pair of doubles leading off the 10th gave SFSU the lead for good.
 

---

THE GAME WAS OVER WHEN OVER WHEN… .080 hitting reserve outfielder Chris Hayman bounced a 2–out, bases–loaded single up the middle to make it 14–10 SFSU in the 10th.

THRICE AS A NICE… For the second time in three days, Devin Orr went 3–for–5. He added a pair of runs and an RBI in the second 3–hit game of his career.

NOW HE'S JUST SHOWING OFF… TJ Dove added to his CSUMB record hitting streak, running it to 20 games with a pair of singles Sunday afternoon. It was the 10th multi–hit game of his streak. He has reached safely in all 46 games this season.

(DON'T) WALK THIS WAY… Otter pitching was its own worst enemy Sunday, combining to walk 12 batters. That matches the fourth most allowed in school history. They were the most walks allowed by the Otters since yielding 13 to Cal Poly Pomona on Mar. 8, 2009.

LEADERS OF THE RAFT… Devin Orr (3x5, 2B, 2 R, RBI); Jacob Tonascia (2x5, HR (12), R, 3 RBI); Hayden Duer (1x4, R, 2 RBI, SF, SB); TJ Dove (2x5, 20–game hitting streak, R, SB, IBB).

THEY'VE GOT NEXT… The Otters begin a crucial 4–game series with Cal State East Bay by meeting the Pioneers in Hayward Thursday (May 3) for a 3 p.m. game.