Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Sound Byte: S. Purkey & M. Dale (Game 2)

HAYWARD, Calif. – Chelsie Kakela, Shaunna Purkey, Mandy Dale, and Meli Sanchez were able to fully enjoy Saturday's Senior Day as the Cal State East Bay softball team earned 9-5 and 3-2 wins over conference foe Chico State. All four played significant roles in ending an 11-game skid to the Wildcats and earning the first back-to-back victories over Chico State since joining the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) in 2010.

Standings: 2014 CCAA Softball

Despite doing its part to remain alive in the CCAA Tournament hunt, Sonoma State's pair of wins coupled with Cal State San Bernardino's losses mathematically eliminated Cal State East Bay. However the Pioneers have an opportunity to clinch the program's first .500 or better CCAA record by winning at least one of two games in tomorrow's twin bill.

Cal St. East Bay 9, Chico State 5 – F (Game 1)
The four Cal State East Bay seniors were honored during pregame ceremonies as it was originally scheduled to be the final two home games of their careers. However Friday's downpour forced the series and season for both squads to conclude with a Sunday doubleheader scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.

Freshman pitcher Jordan Abel entered in relief prior to the rain halting Friday's action. Starting pitcher Emily Perlich was tagged for four second inning runs after surrendering back-to-back homers to Alex Molina and Courtney Brown.

It would be up to a pair of freshmen in Abel and catcher Ali Cerminara to keep the Pioneers fading postseason hopes alive. The Arizona natives were up to the task in attempting to keep Cal State East Bay within comeback range after falling behind early. Abel (8-3) allowed one unearned run over the final 5.2 innings and surrendered just five singles and two walks in the process.

Kakela sparked the offense with arguably her most impressive game of the season. She recorded the first multi-homer game of her Pioneer career after opening Friday with a solo blast and Saturday with a 2-run round tripper. Chico State issued walks to Kakela on her next two plate appearances including the first intentional free pass to a Pioneer player this season.

Alex Vela provided the go-ahead 2-out, 2-run base hit later in the third inning to give the home side a 5-4 lead. Sanchez tacked on two more runs facing an identical situation in the fifth. Chico State starting pitcher Alex Molina (11-12) was then lifted for teammate Brooke Langeloh who threw three wild pitches with two allowing another pair of East Bay runners to score.

Kakela, A. Vela and Sanchez combined to go 7-for-8 and plate all seven of the team's RBI in the win. Kelsey LaVaute was one of four Pioneers to finish with multiple base hits while extending her hitting streak to four games.

Cal St. East Bay 3, Chico State 2 – F
Perlich (14-13) earned the start for the second straight game and was rested after tossing only 45 pitches on Friday. A 2-out rally in the third, and a mistake to Wildcats' Amanda Cordeiro were the only two runs given up as she struck out eight batters in the win.

Cal State East Bay was the beneficiary of a failed sacrifice attempt by Cerminara in the fourth. After her initial bunt try rolled foul down the first base line, she took the next pitch over the opposite field wall to tie the game 2-2.

Perlich received some defensive help from third baseman Marisa Lerma after allowing the leadoff batter in the sixth to get aboard. She alertly threw to second base on a sacrifice bunt try to force out the lead runner attempting to get in scoring position.

Later in the frame Perlich was struck in the left forearm by a line drive comebacker off the bat of Kayla Brown. After a checkup in the circle she went on to strand a pair of runners on base with her eighth and final punch out of the game.

Lerma followed up her fine defensive play with a leadoff single in the seventh of a tie ballgame. Purkey entered the contest as a pinch runner and eventually advanced to third base with two outs.

Dale stepped up to the plate with her former two-year Antelope Valley and current two-year Cal State East Bay teammate as the winning run. She placed the 1-and-1 offering from Chico State pitcher Cheyenne Sandoval (3-6) over the third baseman and out of the reach of the shortstop for the walk-off win.

"As I was walking up to the plate all of the coaches said 'win the game.' I'm thinking to myself 'great, thanks for the pressure," Dale said with a laugh in regards to her seventh inning at bat. "It was like a storybook for us two out there. We're both seniors, it's a time game, and to get the game-winning hit...It felt like we were in the championship."

"It was an amazing feeling. I knew as soon as I touched home I was going to sprint to Mandy," said Purkey after scoring the game-winning run. "We did it as a team and it was the best feeling ever to get two wins today."

For the full post-game interview with Shaunna Purkey and Mandy Dale, click here.

Cal State East Bay (26-25, 17-17 CCAA) will host Chico State (23-25, 16-18 CCAA) for the final two games of the season on Sunday, April 27.

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