Game 1 box | Game 2 box

HAYWARD, Calif. – The Cal State East Bay softball team struggled to find its offensive rhythm in a pair of losses to Cal State Dominguez Hills to cap the four-game series on Saturday at Pioneer Softball Field. The Pioneers (17-22, 11-17 CCAA) scored just two runs on 14 hits in 14 innings, falling to Dominguez Hills, 6-0 and 8-2, to give the Toros (24-17, 14-10) a 3-1 series win.

Though the Pioneers posted eight hits in game one, they couldn't break through against effective pitching by starter Lauren Harper and reliever Stephanie Jimenez. The pair gave up four hits each and held East Bay scoreless while striking out four and keeping all East Bay baserunners from getting past second.

The Toros got out to an early 1-0 lead after a runner scored on an illegal pitch in the top of the first inning. Starter Talia Ferrari then settled in and held Dominguez Hills scoreless for the next three innings, allowing just one run on three hits through the first four innings. The Toros broke through again in the top of the fifth, however, putting together three hits to bring in their second run and take a 2-0 lead.

The 2-0 lead was all Jimenez needed to shut down the Pioneers over the final three innings, however, the Toros added four insurance runs, including three in the top of the sixth to ensure the victory.

Harper picked up her 11th win of the season, while Jimenez tossed three shutout innings to post her fifth save of the year. Ferrari took the loss, throwing a complete game and allowing three earned runs on 10 hits while striking out one.

Game two saw more of the same for Cal State Dominguez Hills, as the Toros opened the game with three-straight two-run innings. Jimenez was impressive again, holding East Bay to just one hit over the first three innings while the Toros built a 7-0 lead.

Trailing 7-0, the Pioneers scored their first run of the day in the bottom of the fourth inning, as Emily Montanez blasted the first pitch of her at-bat over the fence down the left field line to cut the lead to six runs. Taylor Neumann followed with a one-out walk and moved to third after Sara Holdridge singled off the fence in center before Jimenez ended the inning with a groundout and a pop up.

The Toros got another insurance run in the top of the seventh, despite not getting a hit, after a hit batter, a walk and a
Cal State East Bay cut the lead to six in the bottom of the seventh after a Nikki Freiberg homerun that just cleared the fence in left center to make it 8-2. Though Johnson followed that with a single, Harper got a strikeout to end the inning and pick up the win.

Jimenez got the win, improving to 12-8 on the year after allowing just one run on three hits in four innings of work, while Harper earned the save with three innings of effective relief. Cat Schorn took the loss after giving up four runs on five hits in 1.1 innings of work. Kelly Lowe came on in the fifth and pitched three innings of no-hit softball, allowing one run and striking out five.

Cal State East Bay returns to action tomorrow when it meets San Francisco State in a nonconference doubleheader. The Pioneers and Gators last met on Mar. 30, when East Bay swept a doubleheader. The two teams have split the four-game season series so far. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. on Sunday at Pioneer Softball Field.