Box Score HAYWARD, Calif. -- Cal State East Bay senior Nick Hudson tossed a complete game on Friday afternoon to lead the Pioneer baseball team to a 6-2 win over visiting Cal State Monterey Bay in the opener of the four-game series between the two squads. The Pioneers (18-15, 12-13 CCAA) won their third in a row and banged out 11 hits, reaching double digits for the second straight game. 

"We're playing good fundamental baseball right now," said head coach Bob Ralston after the game. "Guys were having good at bats today, executing bunts, making plays in the field, and Hudson was throwing strikes. We're just going to try to keep it going the rest of the weekend."

The Pioneers jumped on the scoreboard first in the second inning when CSUMB's centerfielder dropped a deep fly ball off the bat of Brandon Alexander, resulting in a three-base error. A sacrifice fly by Ryan Kochan made it 1-0.

The Otters (13-22, 8-17 CCAA) mounted their only rally of the game in the top of the third against Hudson. They put their first two batters on base with back-to-back hits, and then scored a pair of runs on back-to-back RBI ground outs. 

East Bay tied the game in the fourth thanks to a wild pitch that brought home Alexander, who had led off the inning with a single. The Pioneers took the lead for good the next inning. Zac Chuvala sliced a double down the left field line to lead things off. After a walk, Chuvala scored when Jason Fletcher lined an infield single that deflected off the pitcher.

Chuvala brought home the fourth Pioneer run an inning later on another opposite-field double, plating Daniel Carney, who had led off the innng with a single.

In the seventh, Ellis Stephney got the rally started by beating out an infield single. After he stole second and third, Alexander brought him home with a base hit through the right side. 

Fletcher picked up his second RBI when he plated the final East Bay run in the eighth inning. The junior's ground out was enough to score Starnes, who had reached on a hit-and-run single. The home team ended up scoring one run in five straight innings as they added insurance for their starting pitcher. 

Hudson, meanwhile, shut the Monterey bats down completely after the third inning. The right-hander closed out the game, allowing just one hit over the last six scoreless frames. He finished with three strikeouts and issued one walk, just his ninth in 64.2 innings this season. Hudson's fourth complete game of the year earned him his team-best sixth win.

Chuvala played one of his best games of the season, finishing 2-for-3 with two doubles, a walk, a run, and an RBI. The shortstop also made several impressive defensive plays, ranging deep in the hole to rob the Otters of a few potential hits. 

Carney also went 2-for-3, raising his batting average to a team-best .330. Alexander had a two-hit day, and Stepheny, Fletcher, and Kochan all reached base twice with a hit and a walk apiece.

The Pioneers hit the road as the series continues on Saturday with a doubleheader in Seaside starting at 12 p.m. The teams will be back in Hayward on Sunday for the finale, which is also slated for a noon start.