Box Score HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay baseball team was defeated 7-2 on Sunday by visiting Cal Poly Pomona to split the four-game California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) series between the two teams for the second straight year. The Pioneers (14-10) even their conference record at 8-8, while the 11th-ranked Broncos (19-6) improve to 13-6 in CCAA play.

East Bay fell behind early as Pomona scored a first-inning run against starting pitcher Michael Pope on a two-out base hit by Joseph Eusebio. The Pioneers put two runners on base in the bottom of the frame, but couldn't get the two-out hit they needed, which would become a theme throughout the game.

The Broncos added two more runs in the fourth inning thanks to a pair of singles and a catchers' interference, giving a bit of a cushion to left-hander Max Bethell, who held the Pioneer lineup in check over the first seven innings.

CPP broke the game open in the 6th as the East  Bay defense faltered. After a leadoff single, the Pioneers committed two of their four errors on the day on back-to-back sacrifice bunt attempts, leading to two more Bronco runs. 

The home team didn't manage to push any runs across until the bottom of the eighth. Trailing 7-0, Eren Miravalles led off with a double, and Kelly Starnes put a stamp on his monster weekend with a two-run home run to left field. 

J.J. Franklin got the last four outs for CPP to close out the game, earning Bethell his fifth win. Pope (1-2) suffered the loss, allowing four earned runs on eight hits with one walk and two strikeouts in 7.0 innings. Chris Schmalz and Kevin Richards combined to get through the eighth, and Taylor Kruger pitched a perfect ninth for the Pioneers.

"I thought Pope pitched well for us," said head coach Bob Ralston, "but we didn't get any two-out hits with guys on base, and Pomona did. We didn't play our best game offensively or defensively today."

East Bay managed just five hits in the game, as Miravalles and Starnes each finished 2-for-4, and Daniel Carney went 1-for-4. Miravalles ended up going 7-for-17 (.412 avg) in the series. Starnes went 8-for-12 (.667 avg.) with two homers, four RBI, and 15 total bases.

The Pioneers have next weekend off for Winter Quarter final exams before they host UC San DIego for a four-game series on Mar. 28-30.