BOX SCORE #30 Sonoma State 3, Cal State Monterey Bay 1 -- Box Score
ROHNERT PARK -- George Asmus has dominated opposing lineups all season long and Thursday's effort was no different. The senior right-hander went the distance, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out 10 to lift the 30th-ranked Sonoma State baseball team to a 3-1 victory over Cal State Monterey Bay to open the four-game series this weekend at Seawolf Diamond. The Seawolves have won six straight games, improving to 20-10 overall and 17-4 in the CCAA. The Otters stumble to 14-25 (9-20 CCAA).
Through the first eight innings, Asmus had kept Cal State Monterey Bay off the scoreboard, and off the base paths for the most part. He allowed just two hits prior to the ninth, both of which came in the seventh inning to break up his no-hit bid. In fact, no CSUMB batter reached base until an error in the fifth inning. In the top of the ninth inning, a leadoff single followed by a stolen base put a runner in scoring position with no outs. Asmus induced a flyout for the first out of the inning, but the next batter, CSUMB's Mark Hurley, shot a single up the middle allowing Brian Hamm to score from second to ruin Asmus' shutout. He then got another flyout and then struckout his 10th batter of the game to secure the complete game win.
Asmus remained perfect on the season at 5-0, and with the run given up in the ninth, rose his nation's-best ERA 10 points to 0.50.
Offensively, Sonoma State struggled to do anything against Otter starter Jeff Owen until the sixth inning when the Seawolves put three runs up on the board. It would be all Asmus would need.
Jackson Stogner walked, then stole second before
Eric Ehlow walked and
Alex Crosby singled to load the bases with no outs. Stogner then scored on a wild pitch that also advanced Ehlow and Crosby up a base.
Garrett Schwartz delivered the only RBI hit of the game for SSU on a single to center field scoring Ehlow. Still with no outs and runners on the corners,
Dallas Seidel grounded into a double play, but Crosby came home to score for the Seawolves' third run of the game which put them up 3-0 at the time.
Owen (5-3) was tagged with the loss; he was replaced at the top of the seventh inning. The Otter ace allowed three runs on five hits and four walks, striking out four in his six frames of work. Six different Seawolves recorded one hit apiece in the ballgame.
The series between Sonoma State and Cal State Monterey Bay will continue on Friday with a doubleheader that is set for 11:00 am. The series then wraps up on Saturday with a single game also starting at 11:00 am.
