HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay baseball team came up short in both ends of Saturday's doubleheader, as visiting Cal State L.A. rode two outstanding pitching performances to 7-1 and 2-0 victories on a gorgeous afternoon in the Bay Area. 

The Golden Eagles (18-9, 13-6 CCAA) have taken the first three games of this California Collegiate Athletic Association series. The Pioneers, meanwhile, fall to 7-19 for the season and 4-15 in conference play.

Game 1 - CSULA 7, CSUEB 1

The visitors banged out 17 hits in the first game, but it was tight in the early going. The Pioneers actually jumped on the board first in the opening frame, as Marcus Wise singled and stole his 10th base of the season. After a ground out, Kelly Starnes lifted a sacrifice fly to right to give East Bay a 1-0 lead. Unfortunately, that would be the only run of the day for the home team.

Senior right-hander Jacob Phillips was sharp through the first four innings, holding the Golden Eagles scoreless without issuing a walk. But CSULA finally broke out in the fifth, notching five straight hits to plate three runs. 

The visitors added an insurance run in the seventh, another in the eighth, and two more in the ninth against East Bay's bullpen, which was more than enough for Golden Eagle starter Icezack Flemming. The right-hander tossed a compete game, allowing five Pioneer hits and striking out 11.

Freshman Donavon Ramirez allowed two runs on six hits in 3.0 innings of relief for CSUEB, and freshman sidewinder Andrew Fernandez worked the final frame.

Junior Ryan Wheat led the way offensively for the Pioneers with two hits. Ryan Kochan went 1-for-4, and Rudy Navarro followed up his four-hit game on Friday by going 1-for-3 with a walk in Saturday's first game.

Game 2 - CSULA 2, CSUEB 0

The nightcap, a seven-inning affair, was an extremely well-pitched game by East Bay freshman Alex Vesia and CSULA's Ralph Ramirez. Unfortunately, the latter out-dueled the former, throwing a two-hit shutout with one walk and three strikeouts.

The Pioneers had a couple of chances on offense. In the second, they loaded the bases on a single by Navarro, an infield error, and a walk to Chris Porter, but Ramirez retired Michael Frantz on a ground out to escape the jam.

In the fourth, Kochan reached on an error, and Jason Fletcher shot a double down the left field line to put two runners in scoring position with one out. But East Bay couldn't push a run across, as Ramirez once again got out of the inning unscathed by inducing a pair of groundouts. 

Vesia gave up just six hits and one walk in a complete game effort, but a pair of unearned runs in the fifth inning cost him a hard-luck loss. The rally started on an infield error. Then after a single and a bunt hit, Lawrence Dominguez gave Cal State L.A. the lead with a single to center field. The visitors scored another run on a bases-loaded double play before Vesia escaped the inning. 

The Pioneers didn't threaten over the final three frames as CSULA completed the doubleheader sweep. 

CSUEB will look to salvage the final game of the series on Sunday, Mar. 29. First pitch from Pioneer Field is scheduled for 11 a.m.