Monterey Times

Down to its final out with nobody on, CSUMB scores three times to win

Cal State Monterey Bay has made a living on the edge this season. The No. 14 ranked Otters did it again Friday night, scoring three times with two outs in the ninth inning to earn an improbable 8–7 win over Chico State at Nettleton Stadium.

With the win, the Otters (34–12, 29–8 CCAA) reduced their magic number to clinch the CCAA title to one over Cal Poly Pomona and two over Chico State (29–12, 22–10). CSUMB has three games remaining while the Wildcats and Broncos each have seven to play.

As has happened multiple times in 2022, the Otters were all but gone Friday night, down to their final out with nobody on base and Wildcat closer Eric Hill looking for the final out. But a double by Chris Rubottom (Los Alamitos HS/Long Beach CC) and a pinch-hit double by Nathan Flores (Orange Lutheran HS/Santa Ana College) got one run back.

After an intentional walk to Kyle Guerra (San Leandro HS), freshman catcher Sergio Solis (Ceres/Central Valley HS) came up with the biggest hit of his young collegiate career, driving a single through the left side to plate Flores with the tying run. Chase Lindemann (Saugus HS/Hartnell College) singled home Guerra with the winning run.

Chico native Colby Harrison (Pleasant Valley HS/Sacramento CC) fanned two in the bottom of the ninth to seal the win with his first save.

The Wildcats jumped to a 2–0 lead in the third, but the Otters responded with a 4–run fourth to climb back on top. A 2–run single by Hunter Harris (Newark Memorial HS/Chabot College) highlighted the outburst.

Chico retook the lead with a 4–run inning of its own in the sixth, but the rally served only to set up the fantastic Otter finish.

 

THE GAME WAS OVER WHEN… Colby Harrison got pinch hitter Zach Morris swinging for the final out.

THE MAGIC NUMBER IS TWO… The race for the CCAA title is down to three teams as only Chico State and Cal Poly Pomona still have a chance to catch the Otters. The magic number against Chico State two (effectively one Otter win). That is, any combination of Otter wins and Chico State losses totaling two would eliminate the Wildcats. Against Cal Poly Pomona, the magic number is one.

CARDIAC KIDS… Friday night, for the ninth time this season, the Otters won a game in their final at bats. It marked the second time this season that the Otter rallied to win when down to their final out with no runners on base.

THE BEAT GOES ON… Brady Miguel and Chase Lindemann saw their streaks of reaching base safely extend to 28 and 27 games respectively Friday night at Chico. Miguel did not have a hit, but he walked two times. Lindemann also ran his current hitting streak to 12 games with his game–winning single in the ninth.

EXTRA BASES… DOUBLES: Jacob Martin (13), Chris Rubottom 2 (6), Nathan Flores (8). TRIPLES: None. HOME RUNS: None.

THEY'VE GOT NEXT… The Otters will have two chances to clinch the CCAA title Saturday when they play a doubleheader against the Wildcats at Nettleton Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for noon.

Original source can be found here.