Box Score HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay baseball team pulled away for a 9-2 victory over visiting Cal State Monterey Bay on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon. With the win, the Pioneers took three out of four in the series, improving their record to 20-16 and 14-14 in CCAA play. The Otters drop to 14-24 and 9-19 in league play.

The East Bay offense racked up 13 hits in the game and broke things open with a six-run sixth inning. Michael Pope allowed just one run over seven innings for his third victory of the season.

The Pioneers scored in the first inning for the third straight game, jumping ahead 2-0. After Monterey Bay made errors on the first two plays, and RBI ground out by Jason Fletcher and a run-scoring double by Brandon Alexander got the scoring started.

The Otters cut the lead in half on an RBI double by Kaden Kamoe in the fourth inning, but that was the only scoring rally the visitors could mount against Pope. The right-hander struck out three, walked four, and allowed just five hits before handing the ball over to the bullpen for the final two innings.

In the fourth inning, four straight Pioneer batters reached base after there were two outs, and Zac Chuvala cashed in an RBI single up the middle to put CSUEB up 3-1.

The Pioneers put the game out of reach in the sixth, as the Otters needed to use four pitchers to get through the frame. With one out, Daniel Carney, Marcus Williams, and Chuvala all singled to load the bases, and then Kelly Starnes laced a two-run double to left. After Ellis Stephney drove in another run with a single, Marcus Wise picked up an RBI with a sacrifice push bunt for the second out. Monterey Bay then made another pitching change, but the Pioneers weren't done. Alexander won a lefty-lefty matchup with a single up the middle, and after a walk to Ryan Kochan, Carney lined a double into the left field corner to make it 9-1.

Julian Garcia pitched the eighth inning for the Pioneers and allowed an unearned run, and then Taylor Kruger recorded one strikeout in a scoreless ninth inning.

Alexander finished 3-for-4 with two RBI, a pair of doubles, and a stolen base. Starnes and Stephney were both 2-for-5 with two runs scored, and Carney and Chuvala both went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. The Pioneers hit .303 as a team in the series.

Next week, CSUEB makes its final trip to Southern California of the season when the visit Cal State Dominguez Hills for a four-game series starting on Thursday, Apr. 17.