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

MCKINLEYVILLE, Calif. – The Cal State East Bay softball team continued its offensive hot streak with a pair of wins over Humboldt State to earn its second series sweep of the season on Sunday. The Pioneers (31-20, 17-15 CCAA) claimed an 11-8 victory in game one before capping the series with a 14-0 run-rule victory in five innings to mark their second shutout of the season. The sweep also allowed East Bay to match its win total from the 2000 season with 31 victories so far, posting its eighth 30-win season in program history.

Game 1: Cal State East Bay 11, Humboldt State 8
Humboldt State jumped out to a 4-1 lead in game one, but the Pioneers came storming back with a seven-run fourth inning. Sara Holdridge led off the inning with a single and Devin Salmones followed with a walk before Emily Montanez loaded the bases with a single of her own. Devon Mercurio took advantage of the situation, singling to left center to drive in a pair of runs. After Mishka Hamor reached on an error, Taryn Thomas doubled to clear the bases and put the Pioneers up 6-4. Heidi McAllister gave the Pioneers a 7-4 lead with a single and Jamie Yaller got East Bay's sixth hit of the inning to put two runners on. Though the Jacks got two fly balls, the Pioneers weren't done yet, getting an RBI single from Salmones to put East Bay up 8-4 through three and a half innings.

Though Humboldt State cut the lead back to two, 8-5, in the bottom of the fourth, the Pioneers made it a five-run game in the top of the fifth. Both Mercurio and Thomas singled to put two on with two outs for Yaller, who doubled to right center to bring in the first run of the inning. Thomas then took advantage of a wild pitch to give the Pioneers a 10-5 lead.

The Jacks weren't done, as they scored another pair of runs to pull back within three through five innings. The Pioneers sealed the win with their 11th run in the top of the seventh, as Thomas scored on a single from Talia Ferrari after being hit by a pitch. Humboldt State threatened to make a last-minute comeback in the seventh, scoring a run and loading the bases with two outs before Lauren Zweigle got a strikeout to end the game and pick up her second save of the weekend.

McAllister earned her fourth win in as many appearances, allowing three runs on five hits in two innings of work to improve to 4-0. Zweigle held the Jacks to one run on four hits in 2.1 innings of work to pick up her team-leading fourth save of the year.

At the plate, Thomas finished 2-for-3 with three runs and three RBI, while Mercurio drove in two runs, scored three and went 2-for-3.

Game 2: Cal State East Bay 14, Humboldt State 0 (5 innings)
The Pioneers got their third shutout of the season thanks to an offensive outpouring and a pair of excellent pitching performances. Starter Kelly Lowe and reliever Kelly Colker combined to allow just two hits and strikeout six in the five-inning victory, with Lowe earning her seventh win of the year after tossing three innings of one-hit softball.

Offensively, the Pioneers were on fire from the start, scoring 12 runs in the top of the first inning. East Bay nearly batted around twice in the inning, taking advantage of three walks and 10 hits. Yaller, Holdridge, Salmones, Hamor and McAllister all had an RBI in the inning, with Yaller, Salmones, McAllister and Hamor each driving in two runs. The 12-run advantage was more than enough for Lowe, who allowed the one hit in the bottom of the first and then sat the Jacks down in order for the next two innings.

Meanwhile, the Pioneers added another run in the second when McAllister scored on an error after notching her third hit of the game. Colker picked up where Lowe left off, shutting down the Jacks for two innings, allowing just one hit and no walks. East Bay made it a 14-0 game in the top of the fifth thanks to a solo homer from Salmones, her 13th of the season.

Nearly every player who batted for the Pioneers either scored or drove in a run. Salmones and Yaller both finished 3-for-3 with two runs, while McAllister went 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBI. Cassidy Zeiner took advantage of some time behind the plate, going 2-for-3 with two runs, while Hamor gave the Pioneers four players with multiple RBI, driving in a pair.

Cal State East Bay is set to close out the regular season at home next weekend when it plays host to No. 19 Chico State. The Pioneers and Wildcats will open the series on April 20 at 1 p.m. at Pioneer Field.