Box Score TURLOCK, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay baseball team won a dramatic pitcher's duel over Cal State Stanislaus, 2-1, in the finale of the teams' four-game California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) series on Sunday. Junior Michael Pope dazzled over eight innings as the Pioneers (12-8) evened up their conference record at 6-6 and their road record at 4-4.

East Bay won three of out four games in the series after routing Stanislaus 13-6 on Friday and splittng yesterday's doubleheader in Hayward. The Pioneers have now won seven of their last eight games against the Warriors dating back to last season.

Pope turned in his longest and most effective outing of the season. After a 1-2-3 first inning, he allowed a pair of singles sandwiched around a wild pitch that brought home one run in the second. The right-hander completely shut the home team down after that, allowing two hits over six straight scoreless frames. For the game he scattered four hits, walked one, and struck out four in eight frames. 

It was the usual suspects providing the offense for East Bay against Warrior ace Jeremy McDonald. With two outs and nobody on base in the fifth, Marcus Wise drew a walk, and Ryan Kochan reached on an infield single. That brought up Eren Miravalles, who tied the game with a base hit up the middle. Brandon Alexander followed and laced a single in nearly the same spot to plate Kochan and make it 2-1.

The Pioneers weren't able to mount any more rallies, but Pope made the lead hold up. Bryce Vidmar got the only batter he faced to fly out to start the bottom of the ninth, and Jason Fletcher recorded the final two outs for the save. 

East Bay out-hit Stanislaus 10 to 4 in the game, with Kochan, Miravalles, Alexander, and Fletcher recording two knocks each. Kelly Starnes was also on base twice, going 1-for-3 with a walk.

The Pioneers have eight straight home CCAA games over the next two weekends, starting with a 2 p.m. game against #16 Cal Poly Pomona on Friday, Mar. 14 at Pioneer Field.