HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay baseball team dropped the opener of its four-game series with San Francisco State by a final score of 6-3 on a gorgeous Friday afternoon at Pioneer Field. With the loss, the Pioneers fall to 4-9 on the season and 1-8 in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) competition. 

The Gators (5-10, 4-5 CCAA) did most of their damage in the first inning, scoring four runs on four hits against CSUEB starter Michael Pope. 

East Bay answered back in the bottom of the first, as Myles Babitt led off the frame with a single to center, and Jason Fletcher yanked a two-out two-run line drive homer just over the fence in left.

Pope settled down after that, posting five straight scoreless innings. But the Pioneer bats weren't able to mount a rally against SF State right-hander Nolan Sheridan, who picked up his second victory with a complete game.

Pope took the loss to fall to 0-3 for the season. He was charged with five earned runs and gave up six hits in seven innings. Right-hander Jacob Phillips and southpaw David Elzig combined to pitched the eighth, and senior righty Julian Garcia got the final three outs for East Bay in the ninth.

Fletcher and Babitt both finished 2-for-4 in the game to lead CSUEB offensively. Rob Link went 1-for-4 with a double and scored the team's third run in the seventh inning thanks to a Gator error. 

The series continues on Saturday with an 11 a.m. doubleheader at Maloney Field in San Francisco, before returning to Hayward for Sunday's finale.