SEASIDE, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay baseball team dropped both ends of its road doubleheader at Cal State Monterey Bay on Saturday. The Otters routed the Pioneers, 18-8, in the morning game, and then they rallied with three runs in the last inning to walk off with the nightcap, 7-6.

East Bay falls to 3-4 overall for the season after dropping the first three games of their opening California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) series.

Game 1 - CSUMB 18, CSUEB 8

The middle infield did most of the damage for the Pioneer offense, which totaled 15 hits. Freshman shortstop Dakota Conners had a monster morning game, going 4-for-5 with a double and three RBI in just his second collegiate start. 

Junior second baseman Marcus Williams continued his early-season hot streak with three hits and two runs scored. Conners (.615) and Williams (.524) have the top two batting averages in the league through seven games.

The Pioneers erased two early deficits in the first game before the Otters pulled away for good. Down 1-0 in the third, Rudy Navarro knocked home Marcus Wise with a single, and Nick Perez followed with a double to put East Bay up 2-1.

After Monterey Bay took a 5-2 lead, the visitors rallied again with three runs in the top of the fourth. Williams got things started with a double, then Devin Higgins, Wise, and Conners followed with three straight run-scoring singles to tie the game.

CSUMB put the game away in the fifth as they sent 13 batters to the plate and scored 10 runs on seven hits, including a three-run homer by Kevin Davidson.

Wise was on base three time for the Pioneers in the leadoff spot and scored all three times. He also racked up three of East Bay's seven stolen bases in the game.

Senior right-hander Michael Pope (0-1) took the loss after allowing eight earned runs in four innings. Junior Cole Compton relieved Pope in the fifth and was charged with six runs in an inning of work.

Senior Julian Garcia tossed the final three frames to close out the game, giving up one earned run on two hits. 

Game 2 - CSUMB 7, CSUEB 6

East Bay sent junior left-hander Angel Lara to the mound for the afternoon contest, a scheduled seven-inning game. He found himself trailing early after allowing a run in the first and two more in the third on Davidson's second home run of the day.

Lara escaped both innings without further damage and put up a zero in the fourth thanks to a double play, which allowed the Pioneers to mount a comeback.

The visitors hung six on the scoreboard in the fifth inning to take a three-run lead. A single by Ryan Kochan and walks to Williams and Myles Babitt loaded the bases with one out. Wise and Conners followed with singles to tie the score at 3-3, and Perez capped off the rally by slicing a three-run double down the left field line.

The Otters got a run back in the fifth, but sophomore Andrew Fernandez threw two scoreless innings in relief, and Monterey Bay still trailed 6-4 heading to the bottom of the last inning. 

The home team got three straight singles against Pioneer pitcher Michael Frantz to open the seventh inning. After an error, Ty Morris singled to right field to tie the game, and Shawn Wheeler singled to left field to win it.

The Pioneers stole three more bags in the afternoon game, but they managed just five total hits.

The series concludes on Sunday morning at 11 a.m. in Seaside. Freshman Alex Vesia is expected to take the hill for the Pioneers, as they look to salvage the finale.