SEASIDE, Calif.--   In Day Two of the 2023 CCAA Baseball Championships, the 15^th ranked Cal State Monterey Bay Otters defeated the Stan State Warriors 9-3 in game three of the double elimination tournament.  The Warriors will now face the loser of the No. 28 Cal State San Bernardino/Cal Poly Pomona game later today at 4:30pm in the elimination game.  CSUMB advances to the winners bracket tomorrow at noon and will face the winner of the CSUSB/Pomona game.
 
The Warriors took the early 1-0 lead in their first at bat of the game.  Robert Valdivia led off the game reaching base being hit by a pitch.  He advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kyle Rachels.  Valdivia scored on a two-out double by Alex Solis to give Stan State the 1-0 lead.
 
Cal State Monterey Bay (34-15) scored two runs in its half of the first inning to take a 2-1 lead.  JJ Engman had a one-triple and scored on a Drew Williams' single.  Williams went to third on a double by Nico Hartojo.  He scored on a ground out by Cole Murchison.
 
Stan State tied the game, 2-2, in the third on a one-out solo home run by Robert Valdivia.  The score remained tied until the Otter half of the fifth inning.  With one out, Chase Lindeman was hit by a pitch and went to third on a double by Engman.  The Otters took the 4-2 lead on a two-run double by Williams.
 
The Warriors (27-24) cut the deficit in half, 4-3, on a solo lead-off home run by Solis in their half of the sixth. 
 
CSUMB scored five runs in its half of the seventh to increase the Otter lead to 9-3.  Dominic Felice's two-run single being the big hit for the Otters.
 
The Warriors had a chance to cut the deficit in their half of the eighth.  Flavio Perez had a lead-off single, but the Otters' Chris Tonna induced the next Stan State batter to ground out into a double play.  Mac Cabero had a two-out single and went to second when Tyler Van Dyk reached on an Otter error.  Tyler Van Dyk loaded the bases with a two-out single.  Tonna struck out the last Stan State batter to end the scoring threat.
 
Stan State had one more chance in its half of the ninth.  Murphy walked to lead off the inning.  He went to second on a two-out single by Perez.  Otter reliever, Michael Potter, induced the last Warrior to fly out to left to preserve the 9-3 CSUMB victory.
 
WARRIOR HITTERS:  Stan State had nine hits in the game with three batters with two hits apiece in Robert Valdivia, Flavio Perez, and Alex Solis.  Valdivia and Solis each had solo runs and Solis had a double.  Solis drove in two runs and Valdivia scored twice.
 
STAN STATE PITCHERS:  Casey Carr (5-5) suffered the loss, pitching 4.1 innings, giving up seven hits and four runs, walking one, and striking out one.  Caleb Bertoncini pitched 1.2 scoreless innings of relief, giving up no hits and walking two.  LaKeal Morris pitched a scoreless ninth and walked two batters.
 
REGIONALLY RANKED:  The Warriors are one of five CCAA teams ranked in this week's NCAA Division II West Region poll.  They are seventh while Cal State Monterey Bay is first followed by Cal State San Bernardino and Point Loma.  Rounding out the top eight are Azusa Pacific, Cal Poly Pomona, Hawaii Hilo, Stan State and San Francisco State. The winners of the CCAA, PacWest and GNAC tournaments will receive each of the leagues' automatic bids. The 2023 NCAA Division II Baseball Championship Field will be announced on www.ncaa.com on Sunday, May 14 at 8pm (Pacific Time). 
 
2023 CCAA Baseball Tournament
at Otter Sports Complex, Cal State Monterey Bay, Seaside, Calif.
(as of May 11 4:40pm)

Wednesday, May 10
Game 1: #6 Stanislaus State 11, #3 Cal State East Bay 3 (CSUEB eliminated)
Game 2: #4 Cal Poly Pomona 8, #5 San Francisco State 5 (SFSU eliminated)
 
Thursday, May 11 (after reseed)
Game 3: #1 Cal State Monterey Bay 9, #4 Stanislaus State 3
Game 4: #2 Cal State San Bernardino 10, #4 Cal Poly Pomona 6 (10 innings)
Game 5: #4 Stanislaus State vs. #3 Cal Poly Pomona, 5:30 p.m. (elimination)

Friday, May 12
Game 6: #1 Cal State Monterey Bay vs. #2 Cal State San Bernaridno, Noon
Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 3:30 pm (elimination)

Saturday, May 13
Game 8: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner, Noon
Game 9: If necessary (30 min. after)