FRESNO, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay baseball team was swept in Saturday's doubleheader by Fresno Pacific by final scores of 4-3 and 3-1 to conclude the three-game series between the two squads. All three games were tight, and the Pioneers (7-16, 4-12 CCAA) received strong starting pitching, but the Sunbirds (18-8) managed to sweep the series.

Game 1 - FPU 4, CSUEB 3

East Bay staged a two-out rally in the bottom of the second inning to grab an early lead in Saturday's first game. Dakota Conners singled up the middle to knock in Kelly Starnes with the game's first run. After Wyatt Foreman and Marcus Wise both got base hits to load the bases, Myles Babitt picked up an RBI with a walk, and Ryan Kochan followed with a single to make it 3-0.

Unfortunately that was the only scoring the Pioneers would manage against Sunbird starter Jake Martinez, who struck out 10 in 7.2 innings.

East Bay's Jacob Phillips was extremely effective in his first start of the season, but he ran into some bad luck in the third inning as FPU cut into the Pioneer lead. The home team scored two unearned runs without the benefit of a hit, thanks to an error and a passed ball. Phillips ended up allowing just three hits and zero earned runs in 5.0 innings of work before leaving after 65 pitches.

Fresno Pacific took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth against freshman Jacob Call. Travis Beck hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game, and then Nick Pate knocked in the go-ahead run with a two-out single. Call held the Sunbirds in check after that, but the Pioneers weren't able to rally back in the final three frames. 

Kochan led the way offensively for East Bay, going 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, and an RBI in the morning game.

Game 2 - FPU 3, CSUEB 1

The second game of the day was a scheduled seven-inning affair, and Fresno Pacific scored all the runs they would need in the first inning. Baron Bower led off with a solo home run, and then three batters later Preston Scott hit a two-run shot to make it 3-0. East Bay starter Alex Vesia settled down after that, allowing just two hits and no runs over the next four innings.

The Pioneers got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth when Starnes led off with a triple to break up Eian Raeber's no-hit bid. Conners singled him home, then stole second base, but Raeber escaped the inning without further damage.

East Bay threatened again in the seventh inning when Rudy Navarro led off with a double, but Sunbird reliever Josh Medeles stranded him at second base to secure the 3-1 win for the home team. 

Freshman Donavon Ramirez and junior Cole Compton eached tossed an inning of scoreless, hitless relief for the Pioneers, whose pitching staff posted a 2.22 ERA for the series despite going winless.