Game 1 box | Game 2 box

HAYWARD, Calif. – The Cal State East Bay softball team used a pair of big innings to post a sweep of San Francisco State in a nonconference doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Pioneer Softball Field. The Pioneers (19-22) posted a 13-5 eight-run rule victory in six innings in game one before coming from behind to top the Gators 6-3 in game two to finish the weekend with a 3-3 record.

After scoring just two runs in 14 innings on Saturday, the Pioneer offense got things going early and often in game one against the Gators. After SF State posted a run in the top of the first inning, East Bay put a six-spot up on the board in its half of the inning, knocking starter Jordan Stanaland from the game.

Kassandra Winger led off with a walk and moved to second on an illegal pitch before Jamie Yaller hit an infield single to put two on for Emily Montanez. The sophomore first baseman singled to left to bring in Winger and tie the game. After Taylor Neumann reached on a fielder's choice and Yaller reached third safely after an error by the third baseman, the Pioneers had the bases loaded and no outs for Sara Holdridge, who singled down the left field line to bring in Yaller and give East Bay a 2-1 lead.

Breezy Johnson followed with a single up the middle to bring in another run and Devon Mercurio drove a double into right center to clear the bases and put the Pioneers up 5-1. Mishka Hamor capped the scoring in the bottom of the first with an RBI single to right center before Marisa Ibarra entered to pitch and got the final out to send the game into the second with East Bay leading 6-1.

The Gators began chipping away at the early lead in the top of the second, when Kelly Mast hit a solo shot to center to cut the advantage to four runs, 6-2. After a scoreless bottom of the second, SF State added another run after stringing together a pair of singles in the top of the third, sending the game into the fourth with the Pioneers leading 6-3.

The top of the fourth inning saw the Gators inch even closer, cutting the lead to just one with a two-run homer from Heather Jensen to pull within one run, 6-5. Cal State East Bay answered, however, with a pair of runs of their own in the bottom half of the fourth. Montanez was at it again in the fourth, driving a two-run double into left field to bring in Hamor and Winger and put the Pioneers up 8-5.

A Johnson single and a walk by Devin Salmones started off the bottom of the fifth inning and set up two on and two out for Winger, who belted a 2-2 pitch over the fence in left to give the Pioneers an 11-5 advantage.

After a scoreless top of the sixth, East Bay put things away in the bottom half of the inning, posting a pair of runs to pick up the eight-run rule victory. A pair of singles from Neumann and Sara Holdridge put two on for Johnson, whose groundout moved the runners over and put two on with two outs for Salmones. Her groundball went through the legs of the second baseman and into right field to allow both runners to score and the Pioneers to pick up the win.

Seven of the nine batters in the East Bay lineup had at least one hit in game one and eight of the nine starters scored a run for the Pioneers. Montanez finished the game 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run, while Winger drove in three and scored three while going 2-for-3 at the plate. Johnson added a pair of runs and an RBI, while Mercurio finished 1-for-2 with two RBI and a run scored. Ferrari picked up her ninth win of the season, going four innings and allowing four earned runs on nine hits and striking out three, while Kelly Lowe came on and tossed a pair of scoreless innings in relief.

The Gators got on the board first again in game two, as Kendra Wood led off the second inning with a solo homer to center field. Lowe settled in, however, and held the Gators to just the one run through four innings. East Bay broke through against SF State starter Ashley Jackson in the bottom of the third, tying the game on a solo shot from Yaller.
With the game knotted at 1-1, the Gators took a 3-1 lead on a two-run homer by Mast, her second of the day, in the top of the fifth.

The Pioneers got the offense going again in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Yaller worked a one-out walk and came around on a Montanez double into left field. Neumann followed with a single and Holdridge was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Salmones. The junior singled through the right side to bring around two runs and put the Pioneers up 4-3. With runners on second and third, a passed ball that reached the backstop brought around both runners to give East Bay a 6-3 advantage before Jackson struck out the last two batters to end the inning.

The damage was done, however, as Lowe shut out the Gators over the final two innings to pick up the complete game victory. The redshirt freshman allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out six in her sixth win of the year, while Jackson took the loss after giving up six runs on seven hits in five innings of work.

Montanez continued her hot hitting in game two, going 3-for-4 with three doubles, an RBI and a run. The sophomore finished the day 6-for-8 with four RBI and ended the six-game week batting .556 with five doubles and five RBI. Salmones was also successful in her game two start, going 1-for-2 with two RBI, a run, a walk and four putouts in right field.

With the wins on Sunday, the Pioneers captured the season series with their cross-bay rivals, 4-2, after splitting four conference games with the Gators in March.

Cal State East Bay returns to action on Tuesday, when it plays host to a nonconference doubleheader with Notre Dame de Namur. The Pioneers and Argonauts are set for a 1 p.m. first pitch at Pioneer Softball Field.