TURLOCK — Trying to make a statement and move up in the conference and regional rankings, Cal State Monterey Bay came into town and took three of four from the Warriors after the doubleheader sweep on Saturday.

Cal State Stanislaus stranded eight runners in the 1-0 game one setback and CSUMB reliever Michelle Tating was solid to help the Otters to a 6-2 nightcap win. The Warriors have now lost seven of their last nine games and dropped to 26-18 overall and 13-15 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Cal State Monterey Bay (31-23-1, 18-10), meanwhile, remains one of the hottest teams with 13 wins in the last 16.

The Warriors are now in sixth place in the CCAA, two-and-a-half games behind fourth place teams UC San Diego and Sonoma State. The top four teams in the conference qualify for the tournament championship tournament April 30-May 2 in Stockton.

In the opener, another gem by starter Jessica Gaumnitz was overshadowed by the fact that the Warriors had difficulty scoring runs. Gaumnitz took the loss after allowing one run on four hits with two strikeouts to fall to 15-7 on the season. Monterey Bay scored the game's only run in the fourth after Shae Olds' single scored Jamie Moon, who had led off the inning with a double off the left field wall.

That all-important clutch hit eluded the Warriors once again until the sixth inning. Meghan Franksen led off with a single and advanced to second on a bunt. A deep fly out later, with two outs, Kimiko Wright was up to the task with another signature long-at-bat. After fisting off a couple of pitches to stay alive, Wright took the ninth pitch from CSUMB's Jessica Boyle through the right side for a hit. Trying to score from second, Franksen was called out on a close-play at the plate.

Stanislaus may have had another run erased in the fifth when Erica McIntyre hit a towering shot down the left field line over the foul pole that was ruled out of play. McIntyre did manage to take the next pitch to right center for a double before a line-out to left ending the rally in the fifth.

In game two, Jennifer Arnold tripled in the first inning to drive in two runs for a 2-1 Stanislaus lead. But Tating replaced starter Shelair Rowell and cruised the rest of the way. After a walk, Tating retired 15 of the next 16 batters in order. McIntyre doubled to right in the fifth but was tossed out trying to stretch it into a triple. Tating gave up three hits on 6 1/3 innings of work, struck out five and walked one for the win.

With the scored tied at 2-2, Monterey Bay pushed through two runs in the fourth inning with a bases loaded walk and a sacrifice fly to center for the go-ahead runs. Niki Ames was 3-for-3 with a double and RBI to lead the Otters in game two.

Arnold went 2-for-3 including the first-inning two-run triple to account for half of the offense in game two for the Warriors.

Cal State Stanislaus has one four-game series left in its regular season schedule. The Warriors will host Cal State Dominguez Hills next weekend to complete CCAA play.

Box Scores:
Game One
Game Two