Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 HAYWARD, Calif. — The Pioneer baseball team picked up a pair of narrow 2-1 wins over No. 4 Chico State on a beautiful day at Pioneer Field Saturday. Sean Becker (5-1) and Michael Pope (6-0) both threw complete games for Cal State East Bay (19-7. 12-7 CCAA), which has now won six of its last seven. The Pioneers were out-hit by the Wildcats (14-5, 7-4 CCAA) in both games, but it didn't take much offense to come out on top today, as the defense and pitching picked up the slack on a thrilling afternoon of baseball.

The two victories snap a six-game losing streak to Chico State, and more importantly, helps keep East Bay near the top of the CCAA standings. Not even halfway through the 2013 schedule, this year's team has already matched last year's win total for the season.

Head coach Bob Ralston had difficulty concealing his excitement following arguably the best day the Pioneer baseball program has seen in his two-year tenure. “The two pitching performances today were outstanding, and we played great defense to back them up,” he commented after the second game. “Chuvala made a huge play to keep us ahead late in the first game. Chico is a really good team, but our guys competed hard today, and it was enough to win.”

Game 1 – CSUEB 2, Chico State 1

The Pioneers gave the ball to Becker, already a two-time CCAA and West Region Pitcher of the Week, in the first game today, and he continued his run of excellence. Myles Dempsey plated the first Chico State run in the third inning with a triple into right-center that just got over the outstretched glove of Brandon Alexander, making it 1-0. This broke a streak of 28 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run for Becker. He responded by shutting the Wildcats out the rest of the way.

East Bay evened the score in the bottom of the fourth when Eren Miravalles connected on his first home run in a Pioneer uniform. His drive over the wall in left-center was the first hit of the day for the Pioneers against Wildcat starter Troy Neiman.

The team's second hit was also a loud one. With one out and a tie score in the bottom of the sixth, Charlie Sharrer got a hanging breaking ball and crushed it over the left-field fence. His first dinger of the season was a solo shot, giving the Pioneers a narrow 2-1 lead. It was the 13th time Sharrer has gone deep in his four-year East Bay career, the most of any player on the team.

The Wildcats threatened in the seventh, putting two on with two out. Leadoff hitter Pierson Jeremiah then chopped a ball up the middle, forcing shortstop Zac Chuvala to range to his right, make a diving stop, and flip the ball to Miravalles just in time for the force out. After that, Becker was able to get the last six outs to close out the win.

The junior right-hander allowed seven hits, walked two, and struck out eight in nine innings of work. Becker now has four straight starts in which he's pitched at least 8.0 innings and allowed one earned run or less. Of the four outings, this was probably his least dominant, but it was against an extremely strong lineup. The Wildcats forced Becker to battle the entire game, but he refused to give in, ultimately throwing 137 pitches in what might have been his most impressive performance yet.

The Pioneers picked up the win despite getting just three hits. The only base runners they had besides the two home runs were seniors Kenny Uyetake (a single in the seventh) and David Castillo (a walk in the fifth). For just the third time all season, East Bay did not make a defensive error in the game.

Game 2 – CSUEB 2, Chico State 1

The back end of the doubleheader was yet another extremely well pitched game between two of the top staffs in the conference. Pope started on the hill for the Pioneers, getting the call in the seven-inning game for the third straight week. Chico State threatened in the second inning, loading the bases with one out, but Pope was able to pitch around it and give the East Bay offense a chance to score first. He struck out Cody Slader on a full count, and then got Jeremiah to ground out to end the threat.

The Pioneers got all the runs they would need in the bottom of the third inning. Sharrer led off with a base hit up the middle, and Alexander advanced him to second with a sacrifice bunt. After a walk to Jordan Wilder put runners on first and second with two outs, Kyle Zozaya came up with the big hit. The senior shot a single through the hole into right field, and Sharrer came around to score, just avoiding the tag with a nifty evasive slide. The next batter was Uyetake, and he sliced a base hit into shallow left that plated Wilder, making it 2-0 Pioneers.

Pope was outstanding the rest of the way. He gave up a solo opposite-field home run to Blake Gibbs leading off the sixth, which cut the East Bay lead to one. But the sophomore right-hander was able to bear down and nail the door shut, getting the final six outs without the Wildcats mounting a threat. Pope ended up scattering six hits and four walks, while striking out three, in his seven-inning complete game.

Wilder and Zozaya were both on base twice in the game with a hit and a walk each. Andrew Rodriguez also had a hit for the Pioneers, going 1-for-3 with a double down the right field line in the sixth.

The series concludes tomorrow with an 11 a.m. first pitch at Pioneer Field. East Bay, already guaranteed a split, will turn to junior right-hander Nick Hudson as the team looks to beat Chico State in a series for the first time since joining the CCAA.