HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay baseball team fell in 10 innings on Friday afternoon to visiting Cal State L.A. by a final score of 9-7. The Golden Eagles (16-9, 11-6 CCAA) scored two runs in the ninth to tie the game, and then won it with two more in the 10th.

The Pioneers fall to 7-17 on the season and 4-13 in California Collegiate Athletic Association competition.

East Bay out-hit CSULA 11-8 for the contest, led by a four-hit performance from junior Rudy Navarro. But five walks, three hit batters, and three costly errors were too much for the Pioneer offense to overcome in the loss.

The Golden Eagles took a 2-0 lead in the third inning on a home run by Trent Zaks against CSUEB starter Michael Pope. However, the home team answered right back with a two-out rally to tie the game. After a strikeout and a ground out, Myles Babitt, Kelly Starnes, Ryan Kochan, and Navarro laced four straight singles to plate a pair of runs. 

The teams traded runs in the fourth, with Marcus Wise picking up an RBI on a ground out. The visitors scored again in the fifth, but East Bay answered again. Walks to Starnes and Dakota Conners and singles by Navarro and Marcus Williams brought in two Pioneer runs to give them a 5-4 lead.

In the sixth, CSUEB extended its lead as Starnes lined an opposite field single to bring home Wise. After a fly out, Navarro belted a two-out double to left field to knock in Starnes and make it 7-4 in favor of East Bay. 

Cal State L.A. got a run back in the seventh on a sacrifice fly, but reliever David Elzig struck out pinch-hitter Trevor Meleski with runners on second and third to end the inning and preserve the lead.

Closer Angel Lara came in for the eighth and mowed down the Golden Eagles in order. But it was a different story in the ninth. Trailing 7-5, CSULA got two straight hits to open the inning. Lara then got pinch-hitter Josh Guerra to pop out to shallow right field and induced Jesus Cuevas to hit a grounder to second base. However, Williams threw the ball away, allowing the Golden Eagles to score the tying runs.

Navarro crushed a double into the left-center gap to lead off the bottom of the ninth, but the Pioneers stranded him there, and the teams headed to extra innings. 

An error by Conners, a sacrifice bunt, and a seeing-eye single through the left side put two runners on with one out for Cal State L.A. Then Ryan Welker executed a squeeze bunt to plate the go-ahead run, and Zaks followed with a double to make it 9-7.

The Pioneers weren't able to answer back in the bottom of the frame, as CSULA closer Chris Oropesa picked up his third save.

Navarro finished 4-for-5 with six total bases and a pair of RBI. Starnes and Babitt both went 2-for-5 and scored four of the team's seven runs.

The series continues on Saturday, Mar. 28 with a doubleheader scheduled for 12 p.m.