Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 LOS ANGELES — The Pioneer baseball team lost a pair of road games to 25th-ranked Cal State L.A. on Saturday. The Golden Eagles (24-13, 21-6 CCAA) held on for a 6-3 win in the first game and outlasted the Pioneers 11-9 in an afternoon slugfest. Cal State East Bay (24-13, 14-13 CCAA) drops three straight for the first time this season, while CSULA maintains s stranglehold on second place in the conference.

Game 1 – #25 CSULA 6, CSUEB 3

The first game of the day saw a bunch of scoring in the first inning, followed by an excellent pitcher's duel the rest of the way. Sean Becker took the ball for the Pioneers, and his teammates quickly jumped out to an early advantage.

Eren Miravalles led off the game with a single, and then Kyle Zozaya and Brandon Alexander both drew walks to load the bases with one out. The next batter, Charlie Sharrer, laced a double into right-center to drive in two runs. David Castillo followed with an opposite-field single to make it 3-0 Pioneers before L.A. had a chance to bat.

Unfortunately, the Golden Eagles lived up to their billing as one of the CCAA's top offenses. Becker allowed four runs on four hits — three of them doubles — as the Golden Eagles batted around in the bottom of the first to grab a one-run lead.

Both Becker and CSULA starter David Armas settled down and started hanging zeroes up on the scoreboard. Cal State L.A. tacked on two runs in the fourth on a two-run homer by Scott Masik. That was plenty for Armas (6-1), who seemed to get stronger as the game progressed.

Both pitchers went the distance as neither team scored in the final five innings. Becker (6-2) allowed a season-high six runs on 11 hits and struck out three in eight innings.

Sharrer finished 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBI. Miravalles went 2-for-4 with a run scored out of the leadoff spot. Zozaya, Alexander, and David Elzig each reached base twice with a hit and a walk. Zac Chuvala and Castillo both went 1-for-4, with the latter notching an RBI.

Game 2 -- #25 CSULA 11, CSUEB 9 (7 Innings)

The back end of the doubleheader was a frustrating game for East Bay, whose offense was hitting on all cylinders. The Pioneers out-hit Cal State L.A. 15-12 and scored in five of the seven innings. But every time the Pioneers put runs on the board, the Golden Eagles answered back with a crooked number of their own.

East Bay went up 2-0 in the first thanks to Alexander, who had a big day at the plate. With Miravalles on first, Alexander sliced a double to left to plate the game's first run. He scored a few pitches later on ball to the backstop.

Cal State L.A. countered with six runs in the bottom of the first off Pioneer starter Michael Pope. Six of the first seven Golden Eagles reached base (four hits and two walks), as the home team took a lead that it would never relinquish, despite all the scoring to follow.

East Bay picked up a run in the second on a pair of Golden Eagle miscues. Bryson Nakamura reached on an infield error, and Andrew Rodriguez followed with a single to right. With Chuvala batting, Rodriguez attempted to steal second. The catcher's throw went into center field, however, allowing Nakamura to score.

Alexander led off the third inning with a triple to center field. An infield hit by Sharrer put two on with one out, and Elzig answered the call with an RBI double. Nakamura followed with a run-scoring ground out to make it 6-5 Golden Eagles.

That was as close as the game would get, as Cal State L.A. stormed back with four more runs in the bottom of the third to take a 10-5 lead. The first three hitters of the inning recorded base hits, eventually chasing Pope (7-2) from the game. The sophomore lasted 2.2 innings and ultimately suffered his second loss of the year.

Zozaya knocked in Miravalles and Rodriguez with a two-run single up the middle in the fourth inning, as the Pioneers tried to claw back. However, once again, the Golden Eagles answered, as Cody Doyle doubled and score on a wild pitch.

Senior Zachary Wong and junior Chris Schmalz each pitched 0.1 innings in relief before head coach Bob Ralston handed the ball to left-hander Bryce Vidmar for the final 2.2 frames. The junior held Cal State L.A. scoreless, picking up one strikeout and giving the Pioneer offense one last chance at a rally.

In the seventh and final inning, Nakamura led off with a single, Castillo was hit by a pitch, and Rodriguez shot a base hit into center, loading the bases with no outs. This brought the tying run to the plate in the person of pinch-hitter Jordan Wilder. However, the senior bounced into a double play, plating a run in the process. Miravalles followed with an RBI single to make it 11-9, but the Pioneers ran out of outs, as Alexander flied out to end it.

Rodriguez (4-for-4) notched the first four-hit game of his East Bay career as also picked up a steal. Sharrer added three hits, and Miravalles was on base three times with two hits and a walk to go along with an RBI and a pair of runs.

Alexander finished 2-for-5, scoring twice and driving in one. Elzig posted a 2-for-4 afternoon with an RBI. Zozaya and Nakamura each went 1-for-4, with the former driving in two runs and the latter scoring twice.

The series concludes tomorrow morning in Los Angeles with an 11 a.m. game. The Pioneers will send junior Nick Hudson to the mound as they look to avoid the sweep.