Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay baseball team split a doubleheader with No. 30 UC San Diego on Friday to open their four-game California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) series. The fifth-place Pioneers (15-11, 9-9 CCAA) scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to walk off with a victory in game one. The fourth-place Tritons (15-10, 11-7 CCAA) rallied to win the second game by a score of 10-3.

The teams continue their series with a 2 p.m. game on Saturday at Pioneer Field. However, with rain in the forecast, be sure to check eastbaypioneers.com and follow East Bay on Twitter at @CSUEBathletics for the latest schedule updates. 

Game 1 -- CSUEB 5, UCSD 4

The Pioneers captured a crucial victory in the morning game despite not leading until they scored the game-winning run with one out in the ninth inning. It started off about as badly as it could have for the home team, however. 

Gradeigh Sanchez led off the game for UCSD and lifted a slicing fly down the left field line. Marcus Wise injured himself diving for the ball, which kicked all the way into the corner, allowing Sanchez to score standing up with an inside-the-park home run. 

Pioneer starter Nick Hudson got through the rest of the inning unscatched before settling into a good pitcher's duel with Triton ace Justin Donatella. UCSD tacked on a second run in the fourth on a double and a sac fly, and they took a 2-0 lead into the sixth before East Bay finally got on the scoreboard.

Ryan Kochan cut the deficit in half with an RBI single to center to bring home Tyler Buchanan, who had led off with a double. The Tritons answered right back, as Michael Mann jacked a solo homer to make it 3-1 in favor of UCSD. But the Pioneers refused to quit, adding anoither run in the seventh. Brandon Alexander bunted for a hit, and Jason Fletcher laced an opposite-field single to put runners on the corners. Kelly Starnes then picked up the RBI with a fielder's choice ground out.

Both starting pitchers exited the game after seven frames, with Donatella in line for the win. Hudson allowed three runs on six hits with one walk and a season-high nine strikeouts. Head coach Bob Ralston tuned to Bryce Vidmar to start the eighth, but the left-hander put a couple of base runners on, and the Pioneers quickly went to Julian Garcia.

Things looks grim for CSUEB when Nick La Face smacked a single into center to make it 4-2, but Garcia escaped the eighth without allowing anyone else to reach.

UCSD turned to its closer, Scott Zeman, who retired the Pioneers in order in the eighth. It was a different story in the ninth inning, however. An error by the shortstop gave East Bay a leadoff base runner, and a one-out walk to Fletcher put the tying run on base. The next batter was Starnes, whose shallow fly to right field nestled just inside the foul line to load the bases. Daniel Carney tied the game with a two-run live drive single to left, and two pitches later, Buchanan muscled a base hit just over the third baseman's head to plate the game-winning run. 

The Pioneer catcher finished 2-for-4 with a run scored. Alexander also went 2-for-4, while Fletcher notched two hits and a walk. Garcia (2-1) earned his second victory of the season in relief.

Game 2 -- UCSD 10, CSUEB 3

The home team jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the second game of the doubleheader before the Triton bats broke out. With out out, Ellis Stephney shot a base hit through the right side, then Carney was hit by a pitch. Catcher Chris Porter then smashed a line drive that got past the diving center fielder and went for a two-run triple. An RBI sacrifice fly by Marcus Williams gave East Bay its third run.

That was all the Pioneers could manage agiainst UCSD's Trevor Scott, who finished the seven-inning complete game. The Tritons answered back with an unearned run in the third, and then they took control of the game by hanging a four on the scoreboard in the fourth thanks to three doubles and two singles. The visitors scored twice more in both the sixth and seventh innings to stretch out their lead to seven and prevent any hopes of another Pioneer comeback.

East Basy starter Sean Becker (3-3) suffered the defeat after allowing four earned runs on nine hits in 4.0 innings. Taylor Kruger followed Becker with 1.2 innings of relief. Kevin Richards worked a third of an inning, and Brian Bynum got the final three outs in the seventh for the Pioneers.

Porter finished 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and a run scored. Seven other Pioneer batters posted one hit each. CSUEB's defense did the team no favors, making three errors that led to two unearned runs.

Miravalles and Alexander both left the second game with injuries. Along with Wise's injury in game one, East Bay could be without the Nos. 1, 3, and 4 batters in its lineup for tomorrow's contest.