CHICO, Calif. – Cal State East Bay plated a season-high run total in Friday's 10-5 weekend series opening victory over Chico State at Wildcat Softball Field. In game two the Pioneers brought the game-tying run to the plate twice in the seventh inning, but the Wildcats held on for the victory to split the doubleheader.

Cal State East Bay 10, Chico State 5 – F (Game 1)
The East Bay offense seized control of Friday's opener scoring four 2-out runs in the second inning. A costly Wildcats error allowed two runs to score on an Alex Vela fly ball. Marisa Lerma and Ali Cerminara piled on with back-to-back RBI doubles to make it 5-0.

East Bay starting pitcher Sierra Clark (5-0) exited with a 7-2 lead through five innings. After her departure Chico State put up three runs and Clark was asked to return to record the final out of the sixth with the tying run at the plate.

Three straight one-out hits from Kelsey LaVaute, Nikki Foster, and Lauren Vestal in the top of the seventh pushed the Pioneers lead back to 9-5. Lerma got East Bay to double digits for the first time this year with her second RBI base hit of the game.

Lerma and Vela paced the offense with two RBI apiece. LaVaute finished 3-for-3 and scored three runs to lead East Bay.

CSUEB is unbeaten this season (7-0) when Clark makes an appearance in the circle. Over her last six appearances she is 5-0 with one save and a 1.80 earned run average. Today was the first start in which she did not issue a walk or hit a batter.

Chico State 4, Cal State East Bay 1 – F (Game 2)
Gabby Gonzalez's first home run of the season was a second inning solo blast to give Cal State East Bay the lead. However it was the only Pioneer extra base hit and just one of three in the game.

East Bay faced Chico State ace Brooke Langeloh in the circle for game two. She improved her season record to 4-0, lowered her ERA to 1.59, and struck out five batters in the win.

The host Wildcats took the lead in their half of the second with back-to-back RBI singles from Karli Skowrup and Briana Contreras. Tori Zimmerman provided the final runs of the contest with a 2-run third inning homer. She was the only player in game two to collect multiple base hits in the 4-1 Chico State win.

East Bay starting pitcher Tatiana Beilstein (2-2) went five innings and allowed four runs on eight hits. Today's game was the first time she allowed a triple or home run in nearly 20 innings thrown.

Cal State East Bay (9-3, 4-2 CCAA) will begin its Saturday doubleheader at Chico State (4-2, 1-1 CCAA) at Noon.