Game 1 box | Game 2 box

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The Cal State East Bay softball team saw its late comeback fall short in a 9-8 loss to San Francisco State, before having the second game of the doubleheader halted in the fourth inning due to rain on Sunday afternoon. The Pioneers (11-14, 8-13 CCAA) came back from a three-run deficit to take an 8-6 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning before the Gators answered with a walk-off homer to earn the win in the first game of the scheduled doubleheader. In game two, East Bay trailed 6-2 with no outs in the bottom of the fourth inning before the game was suspended due to rain in the area. The two squads finished the game on March 30, with the Gators picking up a 10-3 victory.

The Pioneers opened the scoring in the top of the first inning in game one, bringing around three runs thanks to an RBI single from Taylor Neumann and a two-run homer off the bat of Sara Holdridge. Starter Kelly Lowe headed to the circle with a 3-0 lead but quickly got into trouble, walking the first four batters she faced to cut the advantage to two. With Lowe unable to find the strike zone, East Bay opted for Lauren Zweigle, who came on in relief with the bases loaded and no outs and gave up a pair of two-RBI singles to give the Gators a 5-3 lead after the first inning.

Though SF State added another run after stringing together three singles in the bottom of the second inning, Zweigle regrouped and held the Gators scoreless for the next four innings. Meanwhile, the Pioneers began chipping away at the 6-3 lead in the top of the fifth inning. After Jamie Yaller singled to lead off the inning, Neumann homered to left to cut the Gator advantage to just one run, 6-5.

The momentum continued for East Bay in its half of the sixth, as Kassandra Winger worked a two-out walk and stole second before coming around to score on a Yaller single to tie the game at six runs apiece.

In the top of the seventh, the Pioneers regained the lead for the first time since their initial at-bats. With one out, Holdridge reached on a hit-by-pitch and Devin Salmones followed that up with a single to right. Dani Foster reached on an infield single to load the bases for Breezy Johnson, whose RBI groundout put East Bay up 7-6. Pinch hitter Sarah Velasquez walked to load the bases again and a wild pitch allowed Salmones to score and give the Pioneers a two-run lead, 8-6, going into the final half inning.

After tossing six innings of affective relief, allowing three runs on six hits with two strikeouts, Zweigle hit the first batter of the seventh and was relieved by Talia Ferrari. After a single to left, the Gators had two on with no outs for Lea Cardenas, who blasted a three-run homer to left to hand SF State the walk-off victory.

Ferrari took the loss to drop to 4-4 on the year, while Neumann and Yaller led the Pioneers at the plate. Neumann finished 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBI and Yaller went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Holdridge also found success in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with a run and two RBI.

In game two, the Gators posted five runs in the bottom of the third inning and took a 6-2 lead into the bottom of the fourth inning before the contest was suspended due to rain. The teams resumed the game on Wednesday, Mar. 30, with the Gators picking up where they left off with a 10-3 victory.

Cal State East Bay returns to action on Wednesday, when it heads back to San Francisco to finish the series with another pair. The Pioneers and Gators will get back underway at 1 p.m. at SF State Softball Field.