Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
Game 1 box | Game 2 box

HAYWARD, Calif. - The Cal State East Bay softball team opened the CCAA season with a bang, scoring a pair of mercy-rule victories, 9-1 and 13-2, over San Francisco State on Friday. The Pioneers (6-2, 2-0 CCAA) tallied 22 runs and went yard eight times, while getting quality pitching throughout in two big wins. 

Game 1: Cal State East Bay 9, San Francisco State 1 (5 innings)
The Gators got scoring started, putting a run on the board in the top of the first. Trailing 1-0, the Pioneers tied the game with their first of four homers in the game, this one coming off the bat of Devin Salmones. Locked in a 1-1 tie, the two teams combined for just three hits over the next inning and a half. Cal State East Bay broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three runs to take a 4-1 lead. With one out, Salmones walked before a Sara Holdridge single put runners on first and third for Emily Montanez. The junior first baseman blasted a 2-2 pitch over the fence in left center to give East Bay its first lead of the game.

After starter Talia Ferrari tossed a shutout top of the fifth, the Pioneers got to work in the bottom of the inning, scoring five runs on seven hits. With two down, Jamie Yaller singled before Taylor Neumann hit the first pitch over the fence in left to give East Bay a 6-1 advantage. Salmones followed with her second homer of the game before a single from Holdridge and a double from Montanez put runners on the corners for Heidi McAllister, whose double brought in both runs to give the Pioneers the 9-1 lead to secure the eight-run rule victory.

Salmones, Neumann and Montanez combined to drive in seven of East Bay's nine runs. Montanez finished the game 2-for-3 with a run and three RBI, while Salmones was 2-for-2 with three runs and two RBI and Holdridge was 3-for-3 with two runs. Ferrari picked up her first win of the season, tossing the complete game and allowing no earned runs while striking out a pair.

Game 2: Cal State East Bay 13, San Francisco State 2 (5 innings)
For the second straight game, SF State opened scoring in the top of the first inning. This time, however, the Pioneers answered back in the bottom half of the inning scoring all the runs they would need to eventually pick up a win. After Taryn Thomas reached on an error, Yaller's one-out double to right tied the game at one. Neumann followed with her second homer of the day, to put the Pioneers up 3-1. Salmones drew a four-pitch walk and Holdridge hammered a two-run shot over the fence in center to give East Bay a 5-1 lead.

Though the Gators scored another run in the top of the second and knocked Ferrari from the game in favor of Lauren Zweigle, it would be the last run they would score. Zweigle came on to provide more than four innings of one-hit pitching to pick up the victory. The Pioneers added to Zweigle's lead in the bottom of the third, putting up four runs on three hits. A Salmones' double brought in Neumann after she led off with a double. Then, with one out Montanez and McAllister drew back-to-back walks to load the bases for Devon Mercurio, who doubled down the right field line to bring in a pair. East Bay wasn't finished, as Thomas hit an RBI groundout, to bring in McAllister and put the Pioneers up 9-2 through three innings.

After a scoreless top of the fourth, the Pioneers got back to work in their half of the inning, putting together four runs on five hits and two walks to take a 13-2 lead. All four runs came with two out and the East Bay fourth included a two-run homer from Holdridge, her second of the day, and RBI singles from Mercurio, as well as pinch hitters Cassidy Zeiner and Jessica Machado. Zweigle finished off the run-rule win with a three-up, three-down top of the fifth.

Holdridge finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs, four RBI and a pair of homers. Neumann also continued her monster day with a 2-for-3 showing at the plate, two runs and two RBI. Zweigle tossed 3.1 innings of scoreless softball, striking out four and giving up just one hit to pick up the win.

The middle of the East Bay lineup each had an impressive showing to open the CCAA campaign. Holdridge finished the day 5-for-6 at the plate, going yard twice, scoring four runs and driving in another four. Meanwhile, Neumann added two homers of her own, scoring and driving in three runs. Salmones rounded out the trio of Pioneers with multiple homeruns on the day, plating three runs and scoring another five.

In the circle, Ferrari finished the day having allowed just two earned runs and nine hits in 6.2 innings of work, while throwing the complete game and picking up the win in game one. Zweigle was lights out for East Bay as well, earning the game two win with just the one hit and four strikeouts in 3.1 innings.

Cal State East Bay returns to action tomorrow when it will finish out the four-game series with San Francisco State. The Pioneers and Gators are again set for a 12 p.m. start at Pioneer Softball Field.