Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 HAYWARD, Calif. --- The Pioneer women's softball team overcame a 4-2 deficit with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to defeat Notre Dame De Namur, 6-4, in the second game of a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday. The Argonauts won the first game in a slugfest, 14-8.

With the spilt, the Pioneers are 15-33 for the season. Notre Dame De Namur stands at 30-18.

In the second game, the Pioneers had an early 2-1 lead with two runs in the bottom of the second. Both Lauren Vestal and Shaunna Purkey scored on an Argonaut error.

Notre Dame regained the lead with a pair of runs in the top of the third. Sylia Honne had a run-scoring double in the top of the fifth as they went ahead 4-2.

The Pioneers earned the doubleheader split with four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Vestal opened the inning with an infield hit and advanced to third on an error. Purkey followed with an infield hit to score Vestal. After two outs, Meli Sanchez was intentionally walked to load the bases.  Sara Holdridge followed with her team-leading 25th RBI, a single to left field to bring home Allison Noble with the tying run. Chelsie Kakela then hit a 3-2 pitch for her 11th double of the year to drive in Purkey and Sanchez with the go-ahead runs.

Lauren Zweigle (11-17), who relieved Kelsey Cairns in the fifth, retired the side in order to pick up the victory. She held the Argonauts scoreless in the final three frames. Holdridge, Kakela, and Purkey all had two hits for the Pioneers.

“Lauren shut them down, which gave us the opportunity to win,” Pioneer Head Coach Barbara Pierce said. “Both Sara and Chelsie came up with huge hits in the bottom of the sixth. This was a nice win going into our final weekend series of the season against San Francisco State.

In the first game, the Pioneers scored three runs in the bottom of the first to take a 3-1 lead. Nicole Adair reached on a fielder's choice and came home on an Emily Montanez walk. Both Sanchez and Kakela scored on an Argonaut error.

The Argonauts jumped out to a 9-3 lead with eight runs in the top of the fourth inning, however. Hillary Ruddick opened the inning with a single, and then later in the frame, she hit a grand slam.

East Bay took advantage of another Argonaut error to score twice in the bottom of the fourth. After Notre Dame added three more runs in the top of the sixth, the Pioneers made it 12-8 with two unearned runs in the bottom of the frame. NDNU closed the scoring with two runs in the top of the seventh.

Sanchez and Kakela were both 2-for-3 at the plate with a pair of runs scored. Adair also scored twice, while Montanez had two RBI.

All told, the Pioneers scored 14 runs and 19 hits in the doubleheader. “This was a huge improvement for our offense,” Pierce said. “To score 14 runs in two games against a quality opponent like Notre Dame De Namur is great.”

The Pioneers will resume CCAA play and conclude the regular season with a four-game series at San Francisco State beginning on April 26.