Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 TURLOCK, Calif. – Cal State East Bay softball dropped both of Saturday's pool play contests during the Tournament of Champions hosted by Cal State Stanislaus. The Pioneers fell behind early on giving up first inning home runs in both games dropping 5-2 and 5-0 decisions to Montana State Billings and 5-0 to Western Washington.

Website: Tournament of Champions

Montana State Billings 5, Cal State East Bay 2 – F
The designated visiting Jackets were off to a flying start after the first three batters connected for a base hit. Aubrey Conceicao took the first pitch offering from East Bay starter Emily Perlich (7-11) over the wall in left field for a three-run homer. She drove in another run the following frame and finished the game 3-for-4 with four RBI.

The first three hitters in the MSUB lineup of Bella Rovens, Cori Gammon, and Conceicao combined to go 6-for-12 and score four of the team's five runs. Teammate Samantha Everett trotted to first courtesy of a base on balls in all four of her plate appearances. It was one of seven walks Pioneer pitchers issued in the game.

Ali Cerminara battled back from an 0-and-2 pitch count fouling off several pitches before working the count even. She eventually hit a two-out, two-run homer in the fifth inning provided the only Pioneer runs of the day. Cerminara drove in Chelsie Kakela as the two paired up to go 4-for-5 at the plate and score both of the team's runs.

Cal State East Bay loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the seventh bringing the game-winning run in Marisa Lerma to the plate. She worked the count full before MSUB pitcher Amanda Todd (2-6) recorded her ninth punch out to end the game.

Western Washington 5, Cal State East Bay 0 – F
Back-to-back base hits including a Kali Patterson first inning homer gave the Vikings a lead they would hold to the finish. WWU pitcher Jenna DeRosier (12-3) received more than enough run support as she tossed a four-hit shutout for the win.

CSUEB had a chance to score early against DeRosier with Mandy Dale and Cerminara reaching courtesy of base hits. The Pioneers had two runners in scoring position but a routine groundout ended the threat. From that point on Cal State East Bay managed to collect only two more singles the rest of the way.

WWU's Kali Patterson drove in two more runs with a fourth inning double, and Jordan Walley tacked on another with an RBI-single in the fifth.

Kelsey Cairns (4-7) took the loss after lasting 3.1 innings and allowed four earned runs on six hits. Jordan Abel allowed only one run and struck out two Vikings in 2.2 innings of relief.

Cal State East Bay (15-22) will play Notre Dame de Namur (16-22) on Sunday, April 6, at 9 a.m. to open single elimination play in the Platinum Bracket. The winner will finish out the weekend at 2:30 p.m. against the victor between No. 20 UC San Diego and Montana State Billings.

East Bay Athletics Twitter: https://twitter.com/CSUEBathletics
East Bay Softball Twitter: https://twitter.com/CSUEBsoftball
East Bay Athletics Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CSUEBathletics
East Bay Athletics Instagram: http://instagram.com/csuebathletics