Game 1 box | Game 2 box

CHICO, Calif. – The Cal State East Bay softball team continued its stretch of 12 games in eight days on Tuesday, earning a doubleheader split with Chico State to kick off a four-game series being made up after being rained out earlier this season. The Pioneers (8-10, 5-9 CCAA) topped the Wildcats (10-5, 7-3) 5-2 in game one before a pair of clutch hits gave Chico State the walk-off 3-2 victory in game two.

The first game of the doubleheader was all East Bay, as the Pioneers had little trouble figuring out Sam Baker, pinning five earned runs and seven hits on the Chico State starter in 5.2 innings. East Bay scored a run in the top of the second on a Nikki Freiberg RBI double, then went up 2-0 in the third when Emily Montanez singled home Kassandra Winger, who had reached on a walk.

A double by Hailey Stockman was Chico State's lone hit against Pioneers starter Kelly Lowe through the first five innings.

In the top of the sixth, East Bay broke it open on an RBI single by Dani Foster, a run-scoring double by Freiberg and an RBI triple by Jamie Yaller, putting the Pioneers comfortably in front, 5-0. Chico State made the score respectable with two runs in the bottom of the seventh but it was too little and too late, as East Bay cruised to the 5-2 victory. Lowe allowed just one earned run in going the distance, striking out seven along the way, to improve to 3-3 on the year, while Baker took the loss to fall to 7-2.

Both Foster and Montanez finished 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI each, while Freiberg went 2-for-3 with a run and two RBI in game one.

Jessica McDermott turned in an impressive performance in the circle for the Wildcats in the second game of the doubleheader, allowing just one earned run and striking out 10 East Bay batters. The Pioneers, however, drew first blood, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the third when Devon Mercurio walked, advanced to second on a passed ball and scored on Mishka Hamor's double down the left field line.

Chico State could muster just two hits against Pioneers starter Heidi McAllister before taking the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning – with one out, Diana Payan doubled to right field, and Stockman followed with her third home run of the year, a line shot that just cleared the left field fence, putting the Wildcats on top, 2-1.

The lead was short lived, though, with East Bay down to its final out in the top of the seventh, the Pioneers knotted up the score when Taylor Neumann singled off Baker to plate Hamor and make it a 2-2 contest.

Chico State prevented extra innings by scoring the game-winner in the bottom of the seventh. After Christina Wieck was walked to lead off the frame, and following a fly out by Head, pinch runner Jessie Minch advanced to second on an Pioneers error. That set the stage for Taylor Hanamaikai, who drove a Cat Schorn pitch into the right field gap, easily plating Minch to give the Wildcats the 3-2 victory.

Despite blowing the save, Baker (8-2) picked up the win in relief for the 'Cats, with Schorn taking the loss to fall to 2-1 on the season. Stockman had two of the five Chico State hits in the contest, while Winger, Hamor and Neumann each had two hits for East Bay in game two.

The Wildcats and Pioneers are back in action Wednesday, wrapping up their four-game series with a doubleheader beginning at noon at University Softball Field in Chico.