Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 HAYWARD, Calif. — The Pioneer baseball team split its doubleheader with visiting Cal State Dominguez Hills on a gorgeous Saturday. Cal State East Bay (26-15,16-15 CCAA) won the first game 7-3 behind a complete game by Sean Becker. Freshman catcher Chris Porter hit two home runs and knocked in all the East Bay runs in the second game, but the Toros (20-20, 16-15 CCAA) scored twice in the seventh inning to escape with a 5-4 win.

Game 1 – CSUEB 7, CSUDH 3

The Pioneers got the day off to a good start with three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Andrew Rodriguez ignited a two-out rally, knocking in the first run of the game with a triple into the left-center gap. Zac Chuvala then legged out an infield single to plate another run. After Eren Miravalles singled to right, Brandon Alexander notched the fourth straight East Bay hit with an RBI single.

A couple of walks came back to hurt Becker in the third inning. With bases loaded and two outs, Ivory Thomas, the Toros' top hitter, laced a two-run double to right-center.

Leading 3-2, the Pioneers took advantage of some defensive miscues in the fourth inning as they put up three unearned runs against Toro starter Dimitri Delafuente. A pair of errors put runners on second and third with one out, and Miravalles brought them both home with a base hit. The junior second baseman advanced to second on Alexander's second hit of the game. Kyle Zozaya then hit a double-play ball to third, but the second baseman's throw to first got away, allowing Miravalles to score.

Becker gave a run back in the top of the fifth on a double and a single, but the junior right-hander settled down and shut out the Toros the rest of the way. Alexander, meanwhile, gave the Pioneers an insurance run with another RBI single in the sixth to make it 7-3.

Becker (7-2) held CSUDH to just one hit in the final three frames. For the game, he scattered nine hits in nine innings, allowing three earned runs. He struck out six and issued a season-high three walks in his fifth complete game of the year.

Alexander finished 3-for-5 with two RBI. Rodriguez scored three runs, going 2-for-3 with a walk. Miravalles and Chuvala both reached base three times, each going 2-for-4 with a walk. The former knocked in a pair of runs, while the latter scored twice. Zozaya finished 1-for-4 with a double and a walk.

Game 2 – CSUDH 5, CSUEB 4

Sophomore hurler Michael Pope took the ball in the second game of the doubleheader, which was scheduled, as always, for seven innings. He posted a couple zeroes to start the game, but got into trouble in the third inning. Pope issued two walks, and then singles by Thomas and Hayden Maurice made it 2-0 Toros as they looked to avoid Saturday sweep.

Porter got the start behind the dish and turned in his best game in a Pioneer uniform, almost single-handedly accounting for the East Bay offense. In the bottom of the fourth, an error and a walk put two runners on with one out. Then Porter came up and launched the first pitch he saw over the left field fence for a three-run homer, his first of the season.

The Toros were able to tie the game, however, the following inning. Pope walked two batters, and head coach Bob Ralston turned to junior Ben O'Bryan out of the bullpen. O'Bryan hit the first batter he faced with a pitch to load the bases. After a getting a huge strikeout, the right-hander hit another Toro batter to bring home the tying run.

O'Bryan tossed a scoreless sixth, and the Pioneers came to bat in the bottom of the inning with a chance to take the lead. Fortunately, the leadoff man was Porter, who absolutely crushed an 0-1 fastball high up into the trees beyond left field. Porter's second dinger of the game — and his Pioneer career — gave East Bay a narrow 4-3 lead.

The Pioneers had the bases loaded with one out in the inning, but couldn't plate any insurance runs. Ralston then gave to ball to left-hander Bryce Vidmar for the seventh. With two outs and a runner on second, Vidmar got a comebacker, but his throw to first was low and got away from David Elzig, allowing the tying run to score. After a hit-by-pitch, Peter Ives laced a base hit up the middle to give the Toros a 5-4 lead.

That would prove to be the game-winner, as the Pioneers went in order in the seventh. Vidmar (1-1) took the loss, although both runs he allowed were unearned. Joseph Perez picked up the win with three innings of relief.

Porter was the only Pioneer batter to get multiple hits in the game, going 2-for-3 with four RBI. Zozaya reached base three times, all via walks. Rodriguez had a walk and a run scored. Miravalles, Alexander, Chuvala, and Charlie Sharrer each posted one hit.

The Pioneers will look to win the series when they take on the Toros one more time in Sunday's finale. Junior Nick Hudson will be on the hill for CSUEB, with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m.