Game 1 box | Game 2 box

HAYWARD, Calif. - On a day that saw Cal State East Bay and Humboldt State combine for seven homeruns, the home team earned a split in the doubleheader to take the series, 3-1, on Saturday. The Pioneers (11-13, 8-12 CCAA) trailed by as many as three runs in game one, but came back to win it, 10-7, thanks to a five-run sixth inning, and battled to a 1-1 tie through five frames in game two before falling 7-1, as the Jacks salvaged the series finale.

Taylor Neumann was a key spark for East Bay in game one, hitting a pair of homers and driving in five runs, including a three-run jack to break open the game in the sixth inning. Meanwhile, Talia Ferrari was a workhorse for the Pioneers in the circle on Saturday, tossing 13.2 innings and picking up both the game-one win and the game-two loss.

The Jacks got out to a fast start in the first game, opening scoring with a leadoff homer from Nikki Ketteringham. After Pioneer starter Kelly Lowe gave up a single and a walk, Humboldt's five-hitter, Kirsten Nouzovsky blasted a pitch over the left field fence to plate three more runs, while knocking Lowe from the game after getting just one out. Ferrari came on to end the inning, but not before the Jacks took a 4-0 lead.

Cal State East Bay responded in the bottom half of the first, as Neumann hit her first homerun of the day off Humboldt's Jessica George. The two-run shot brought around Emily Montanez after she picked up her first of four walks on the day, cutting the HSU advantage to 4-2.

Though the Jacks added another run in the top of the third, the Pioneers matched them in the bottom half of the inning. Catherine Schorn led off the inning with a walk and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from Kassandra Winger and a groundout from Breezy Johnson. After Montanez walked again, Neumann singled down the right field line to bring in Schorn and cut the Humboldt lead to 5-3.

Humboldt State wasn't done, however, as they picked up their sixth run of the game in the top of the fourth and George made the lead hold in the bottom of the inning. After Ferrari gave up just one hit in the top of the fifth, East Bay got back a pair of runs in its half of the inning to cut the Jacks' lead to just one run. Winger led the inning off with a single and moved over on a sacrifice bunt from Johnson before Montanez' walk put runners on first and second with one out. After Neumann's groundout moved the runners over to second and third, Devin Salmones stepped in and singled to right center to clear the bases and plate both Montanez and Winger.

Trailing 6-5, the Pioneers put together four hits and brought around five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Jamie Yaller led off the inning with a single to center and Schorn followed up with a one-out single to right center. After Winger walked to load the bases, Johnson got the scoring started with an RBI single down the right field line. Montanez continued the scoring with a fielder's choice to bring in Schorn, giving East Bay its first lead and putting two on with two out for Neumann. The Moorpark native sent another ball over the fence in right field to bring in another three runs and put the Pioneers up 10-6 heading into the seventh.

Though the Jacks plated one run and loaded the bases in the top of the seventh, Ferrari and the Pioneer defense closed out the victory. Ferrari allowed three runs on 10 hits with two strikeouts in her fourth win of the season, while George gave up 10 runs on nine hits and five walks in six innings of work in the loss.

Humboldt State again got out to an early lead in game two by way of the longball as Chrissy Stalf hit a solo shot off Ferrari with two down in the top of the first to give the Jacks a 1-0 lead. Though HSU starter Jennifer Sizemore kept the Pioneers off the board in the first, East Bay tied the game in the bottom half of the second. After Neumann and Salmones led off with singles, the pair moved over to second and third on a Ferrari sacrifice bunt and Neumann came around on a wild pitch to tie the game 1-1.

The two pitchers dueled for the next three innings, as the two teams headed to the sixth still knotted at one run apiece. In the top of the sixth, the Jacks put together a pair of hits and played small ball to bring in the go-ahead run and take a 2-1 lead.

After Sizemore got out of a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the bottom of the seventh, the Jacks took that momentum and ran with it, sealing the victory with five runs in the top of the seventh, including a pair on Stalf's second homer of the game and another on a solo shot by Felicia Viveiros.

Ferrari took the loss after giving up six runs on 10 hits, though she allowed just two runs on five hits through the first six innings. Neumann finished the day an impressive 6-for-8 with three runs and five RBI, while Montanez cashed in on her four walks with three runs and an RBI.

Cal State East Bay takes a break from CCAA play next weekend, as it hosts two nonconference opponents in Holy Names and Dominican. The Pioneers will take on the Hawks to open the weekend with a doubleheader on Saturday before meeting the Penguins for a twinbill on Sunday.