HAYWARD, Calif. – Cal State East Bay softball returns home to host California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) foe Cal State Stanislaus for back-to-back weekend doubleheaders starting on Friday, April 18. The Pioneers are in the mix for the fourth and final spot into the CCAA Post-Season Tournament with eight regular season games remaining.

Standings: 2014 CCAA Softball

Following its sweep of Cal State San Bernardino (12-16) the weekend prior Cal State East Bay (13-15) jumped ahead of the Coyotes and into sixth in the league standings. The Pioneers are two games back of Sonoma State (15-13), one behind Chico State (14-14), and those two teams will face off this weekend in Chico. CSUEB will then host Chico State in the final series of the regular season with the potential to advance to the CCAA Championships for the first time in program history pending the outcome of this weekend's series' around the league.

"We need to keep it simple and take it one pitch at a time. Our goal this weekend is to play East Bay softball. When we do that, we give ourselves a chance to win," said East Bay Head Coach Barbara Pierce.

Cal State East Bay has won nine in a row at home and is 13-3 inside the friendly confides of Pioneer Field. As a team the Pioneers have posted a .298 batting average, 2.72 ERA, and outscored the opposition 92-54 in 16 games in the city of Hayward. In 22 true road games this season the Pioneers have splits of a .217 team batting average, a 4.29 team ERA, and a -37 run differential.

"We are looking forward to playing at home this weekend. It's no secret we play better on our home field," commented Pierce.

While Cal State East Bay has enjoyed its home field, Cal State Stanislaus (13-34, 6-22 CCAA) has not fared as well on the road. The Warriors have not won a conference road game since March 1 against San Francisco State and have lost 10 straight CCAA road contests.

Cal State Stanislaus and Cal State East Bay met earlier this season in the city of Turlock where the Warriors earned 6-1 and 6-2 victories. The Pioneers scrambled to find games prior to the official opening of league play after their opening two scheduled doubleheaders against non-conference opponents Dominican and Holy Names were rained out.

In that Feb. 12 doubleheader the Pioneers defense committed seven errors. CSUS pitcher Natalie Rendon (4-15, 4.88) tossed a one-hitter in the opener and CSUEB hit just .170 on the day. However since March 18, Rendon has struggled going 0-10 with her season ERA rising from 3.90 to 4.88. The Warriors extended their win streak over the Pioneers to five games after Cal State East Bay had won six straight from the 2011 finale through the 2013 opener.

The difference in this series could come down to pitching as both teams enter the weekend with an identical .260 batting average. East Bay pitcher Emily Perlich (11-12, 3.35) is 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA and 24 strikeouts over her last three starts. Stanislaus hurler Karina Callazo (5-5, 2.54) is 3-1 with a 1.35 ERA and 20 strikeouts during her past four starts in the circle.

EB's Jordan Abel (7-3, 2.78) has earned the victory in each of her past three starts and posted an ERA of 1.67 during that stretch. She tossed a complete game shutout against Cal State San Bernardino (April 11) and struck out a season-high six in her most recent outing versus Academy of Art (April 16).

For more information on upcoming contests, visit the Cal State East Bay softball schedule page.

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