Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 POMONA, Calif. — The Pioneer baseball team split its road doubleheader with Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday. With a 5-4 win in the first game, Cal State East Bay (32-17, 22-17 CCAA) tied the school record with its 32nd win of the season. Sean Becker tossed his team-leading sixth complete game to earn his eighth victory. The Pioneers were edged out by the Broncos (25-24, 17-22 CCAA) in the second game by a score of 3-2.

With Sonoma State's win over Cal State L.A. this afternoon in the second game of their doubleheader, East Bay is officially eliminated from postseason contention in the CCAA. However, with one game to play in 2013, the Pioneers have a chance to make history by being the first team to reach 33 wins.

Game 1 – CSUEB 5, CPP 4

Game one was billed as a battle of staff aces between Becker and the Broncos' Kevin Bosson, and the two hurlers did not disappoint in the early going. It took until the fourth inning for either team to get on the scoreboard. Pomona loaded the bases on two singles and a catcher's interference with no outs. Becker then induced a double play from the next batter, but a run came home to make it 1-0.

The Broncos struck again in the bottom of the sixth after Bo Walter led off with a bunt hit. Jordan Whitman and Joseph Eusebio both shot doubles down the third base line. Becker got out of the inning, but the Broncos led 3-0.

Bosson finally lost his shutout in the seventh as the Pioneers mounted their first rally of the game. Andrew Rodriguez led off with a single, and Eren Miravalles worked a two-out walk to put a runner in scoring position. Kyle Zozaya then got East Bay on the board with a base hit up the middle.

The Pioneers still trailed 3-1 into the eighth when they proceeded to post their best inning of that day. Bryson Nakamura led off with walk, and David Castillo reached on an error. David Elzig executed a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners, and then Bosson walked Rodriguez to load the bases. Jordan Wilder pinch-hit for Chuvala, and he too drew a walk to drive in a run. With the bases still loaded, Miravalles lined a single to center to plate two and give the Pioneers their first lead. East Bay added another run in the inning, as Zozaya pitcked up his team-leading 44th RBI with a base hit into left-center.

That run proved to be vital because Becker gave up a solo home run to Chris Carlson with one out in the eighth to make it 5-4. However, the right-hander bore down and retired the final five Bronco batters to secure the narrow victory.

Becker needed just 104 pitches to finish off his fourth consecutive complete game. He scattered 10 hits against the top offense in the CCAA and allowed three earned runs. The junior didn't walk a batter and fanned five. He finishes the season 8-2 with a 2.19 ERA and currently leads the CCAA with 83.2 innings and six complete games in conference play.

The Pioneer offense racked up 12 hits, led by Zozaya, who went 3-for-5 with two RBI. Rodriguez finished 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored. Brandon Alexander also reached base three times with two hits and a walk. Nakamura went 1-for-4, drew a base on balls, and scored a run.

Game 2 – CPP 3, CSUEB 2

The second game on Saturday was also well pitched, and for the third straight time in the series, the winning margin was just one run. East Bay picked up the game's first run in the top of the first, as Zozaya continued his big day. With one out, the senior laced a double to left field. Wilder was thrown out at home on the play, but two batters later, Alexander plated Zozaya with a single to center.

Pioneer starter Michael Pope got through the first inning perfectly, but he got into trouble in the second. Two walks and an infield hit loaded the bass with no outs. The next batter bounced one through the hole on the right side for a run-scoring single. Now 1-1, the bases were still loaded. However, Pope got an infield pop-up, a strikeout, and a ground out to escape what could have been a huge inning for the Broncos.

CPP was finally able to break through in the third, though. Once again, they loaded the bases with no outs, thanks to two singles and a walk. Pope induced another pop-up for the first out, but then Mike Philip and Brennen Saldago recorded back-to-back base hits to bring home a pair of runs. Once again, Pope avoided further damage, as he got the next batter to ground into an inning-ending double play.

In the top of the fourth, freshman catcher Chris Porter laced a double down the line to lead things off. After an infield hit by Chuvala, Miravalles cut the lead in half with an RBI single to left.

Unfortunately, they wouldn't get any closer, and the 3-2 score would hold as the final. Pope finished strong to pick up his fourth complete game this season. The sophomore allowed three earned runs on 10 hits. He walked three, struck out four, and suffered the defeat to finish the season at 8-3.

The Pioneer offense couldn't get a runner past first base in the final three frames as they came up short in a comeback attempt. Zozaya went 2-for-3 with a run to finish the doubleheader 5-for-8. Miravalles was 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Chvuala notched a pair of hits as well. Porter was on base three times with a double and two walks, while Alexander was 1-for-3 with an RBI.

The series and the 2013 season will conclude with an 11 a.m. game Sunday in Pomona. It will be Senior Day for the Broncos, and the Pioneers will send junior Nick Hudson to the mound as they attempt to win the series and break the school record for victories.