Box score

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – Kyle Zozaya hit two home runs, including a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning to lead the Pioneer baseball team to a come-from-behind 12-11 CCAA victory over Cal State San Bernardino on April 16 at Fiscalini Field.

The Pioneers averted a four-game sweep and improve to 9-19 in CCAA play and 15-23 for the season.

Cal State San Bernardino, which saw its six-game winning streak come to an end, is 17-11 in the CCAA and 20-13 overall.
  
East Bay, held to five runs in the first three games of the series, scored 12 runs and banged out 15     hits.

“We had a lot of good at bats today,” Pioneer coach Bob Ralston said. “I was pleased we had clutch hits against a good Cal State San Bernardino pitching staff.”

Zozaya was 4-for-5 at the plate with two home runs and four RBIs. Bryce Miller drove in a career-best five runs including a game-tying grand slam in the seventh inning.

David Castillo contributed to the Pioneer victory with three hits, two runs and a RBI. The Pioneers received good production from the top of the order as leadoff hitter Jordan Wilder had two hits and scored twice, while Charlie Sharrer was 2-for-4 at the plate. Andrew Woolfe scored a pair of runs.

Pioneer reliever Zachary Wong evened his record at 2-2. In 3.2 innings, Wong allowed one run on two hits and recorded four strikeouts.

Wilder opened the first inning with a triple and scored on Sharrer's sacrifice fly. Zozaya hit a solo home run to give the Pioneers a 2-0 lead.

East Bay increased its lead to 3-0 in the second as Brett Hall singled to knock in Miller who was hit by a pitch to open the inning.

The Coyotes struck for four runs in the bottom of the second. Mike Newell had a RBI single, while Ethan Chapman drove in two runs with a base hit. Newell scored the fourth run of the inning on a wild pitch.

Zozaya tripled to knock in Woolfe as the Pioneers tied the game in the top of the third inning.

Cal State San Bernardino pushed across an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth to take a 5-4 lead.

The Pioneers tied the game with a run in the top of the sixth. With one out, Castillo doubled and scored on Miller's double to left field.

The Coyotes used the long ball to score five runs in the bottom of the sixth. Edwin Mendoza hit a three-run homer, while Jake Pilkerton added a two-run blast.

East Bay rallied in a big way in the top of the seventh inning. Castillo singled to drive in Wilder. Miller followed with a grand slam, his first homer of the season and fifth RBI of the game as the Pioneers tied the game, 10-10.

“Miller's grand slam was huge,” Ralston said. “He had a big hand in our victory.”

In the bottom of the seventh, Matt Haney doubled and later scored on an Alex Gutierrez single giving the Coyotes an 11-10 advantage.

Zozaya hit a two-run homer, his second of the game and third of the season, in the top of the eighth inning as the Pioneers regained the lead, 12-11.                                                                                                     

“Kyle had a big day at the plate,” Ralston said. “His homer in the eighth won it for us.”

Wong, who entered the game in the fifth inning, retired the Coyotes in order in the bottom of the eighth.

Darren Dworak walked to open the bottom of the ninth. Wong proceeded to retire the next two Coyote hitters. Gutierrez walked on four pitches. Wong preserved the victory for the Pioneers as he struckout Mendoza. 

“This was a great win,” Ralston said. “We put it all together and came up with a victory.”