Box Score HAYWARD, Calif. — The Pioneer baseball team ran its home record to 12-2 on this bitingly cold Friday afternoon with a 5-3 victory over visiting Cal State San Bernardino (9-8, 3-6 CCAA). Senior
Matt Fontaine pitched 6.0 innings in relief to earn his second win, and seven different players recorded hits for Cal State East Bay (14-6, 7-6 CCAA). This is the fifth time in six series this year that the Pioneers have won the opening game to start the weekend.
Ben O'Bryan got the start for East Bay, and the senior battled with a tight strike zone from the first batter. He pitched around two walks in the first, giving the Pioneer bats a chance to take the lead. In the bottom half of the inning, junior
Brandon Alexander walked, moved to second on a wild pitch, and then scored when
Eren Miravalles ripped a double to the wall in left-center.
The Coyotes loaded the bases against O'Bryan in the second inning, but didn't score, allowing East Bay to extend its lead.
Charlie Sharrer walked to lead off the Pioneer second, and
David Castillo doubled him home with a deep drive over the center fielder's head. After
Zac Chuvala advanced Castillo to third with a bunt, Alexander picked up a big two-out RBI with a line drive single to right to make it 3-0 CSUEB.
San Bernardino final got on the board in the top of the third, putting two runners on with a walk and an infield hit, and bringing a run home with a ground out. The Pioneers answered right back and made it 4-1 in the bottom of the third. Miravalles led off with a double down the third base line,
Jordan Wilder walked, and
Naea Kalehuawehe dropped a single into shallow right-center, loading the bases with one out. CSUSB pitcher Kerry Kelley then walked Sharrer on five pitches to force in another run.
Fontaine relieved O'Bryan to start the fourth inning. The Pioneer starter threw 69 pitches in 3.0 innings. He allowed just one run on three hits, but issued five walks. In fact, atypical of a Friday, this game featured 11 bases on balls in the first four innings. Both Fontaine and Coyote reliever Brian Jipp did a better job throwing strikes, however, and the base runners were much more scarce in the latter half of the game.
San Bernardino picked up a run off Fontaine in the fourth. They put runners on first and third, and then Aaron Beckely got caught between first and second and stayed in the rundown long enough for Andrew Harrison to come across home plate. They added an unearned run the followed inning when the leadoff batter reached on an error and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly to right field. The Pioneers held a narrow 4-3 advantage heading to the bottom of the fifth.
Both pitchers settled in and cruised through the next two frames. In the bottom of the eighth, East Bay notched a huge insurance run when
Kenny Uyetake, a defensive replacement at first base, led off with a walk. Sharrer sacrificed him to second, and he advanced to third two pitches later on a ball to the backstop. Castillo then executed a perfect squeeze bunt on a high fastball to pick up the RBI. This gave the Pioneers a 5-3 lead, which was plenty for Fontaine, who nailed the door shut with a scoreless ninth inning.
Fontaine (2-1) allowed one earned run on five hits in 6.0 innings of work, walking two and striking out four. The senior right-hander has now started three games and finished three games for the Pioneers.
“The conditions were tough today, and our guys battled early,” said head coach
Bob Ralston after the game. “We put up a couple runs, and then it was just a great job by Fontaine. He's been really versatile this year and a guy we've really been able to count on. He stepped up big for us today.”
O'Bryan did not factor into the decision, although East Bay is now 5-1 when he starts. Miravalles was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI. Kalehuawehe also posted multiple hits, going 2-for-3.
Alexander was on base twice with a walk to go along with his run-scoring single.
Kyle Zozaya also reached twice, going 1-for-3 with a walk. Sharrer was hitless, but the senior filled up the box score with two walks, an RBI, and a run scored.
The series continues tomorrow with a doubleheader at Pioneer Field starting at 11 a.m. East Bay and San Bernardino are scheduled for a nine-inning game followed by a seven-inning game.
