Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ARCATA – Redemption can come easily when the bases are loaded.
 
Courtney Hiatt jacked a grand slam to deep right center in the bottom of the third to give Humboldt State a 4-1 lead that they would not relinquish against Cal State Monterey Bay in California Collegiate Athletic Association action on Sunday.
 
Hiatt, who had one of two HSU errors in a 3-run first inning for the Otters in the first game, made sure the second game was not a close one with her blast. The teams split with the Otters winning the first game (4-3) and the Lumberjacks taking the second (8-3).
 
“I did not get a hit off her (Cori Reinhardt) on Saturday, and she was pitching me all outside,” Hiatt said. “I knew that I would get an outside pitch. I knew it was coming, and I just stepped in and drove it.”
 
Humboldt is 8-4 in league play and 12-9 overall. Humboldt is in third place, behind UC San Diego and Sonoma State who are tied with 11-5 records. The Jacks won three out of four in the series against the Otters (7-9 CCAA, 12-13 overall), the defending CCAA champion.
 
“Monterey has their ace pitcher back, and we beat her three times,” said HSU head coach Frank Cheek. “We gave them the first game in the first inning with a couple of errors. But we hit the long ball in the second game.”
 
In the first game Humboldt battled back to tie the game 3-3 with single runs in the second, fourth and sixth. Sarah Fox knocked in two of the runs, hitting a solo homer in the second and an RBI single in the fourth.
 
But the Otters scored a run in the seventh when Lauren Ermitano hit a two-out RBI single, scoring Vanessa Avila who had led off the inning with a walk. Lizzie Perez got the loss (6-4) and Lindsey Clarkson the win (4-3).
 
In the second game, Humboldt hit three home runs. In addition to Hiatt's slam, Fox hit her second home run of the day – a solo shot in the fifth, and Dani Randall led off the sixth with a homer down the left field line.
 
“It's a great morale booster for us,” Hiatt said. “We are hitting a lot better now. That is going to win games for us.”
 
Katie Obbema won her third game for the Jacks (3-1) while Cori Reinhardt (6-9) got the loss. Hiatt was 4-for-7 on the day. Megan Wink was 3-for-3 in game two.
 
Humboldt will take a break from CCAA action on Wednesday with a doubleheader against Dominican University. The first game begins at 1 p.m. CCAA play continues next weekend when the Jacks are home against Cal State Stanislaus with doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday. Friday's first game is at 1 p.m. and Saturday's is at 11 a.m.