Box Score: SJSU 13, CSUEB 9
Box Score: CSUEB 12, CSUB 9

SAN JOSE, Calif.-- Cal State East Bay split the first two games of the 2015-16 campaign at the San Jose State Lou Strong Memorial on Saturday. The Pioneers defeated Cal State Bakersfield, 12-9, in their second game of the day to notch their first victory over a Division I opponent since 2013. The team's first victory of the season was preceded by a 13-9 defeat to host San Jose State, currently ranked No. 8 in the nation.

Game One: San Jose State 13, CSUEB 9

The Pioneers held the lead after the first, when they answered a 1-0 Spartan lead with three straight goals. Taylor Cross opened the scoring for the Pioneers, followed up by Casey Rushforth, and again by Cross to make it 3-1 Pioneers.

The Spartans would score the first four goals of the second quarter to grab a 5-3 lead before the Pioneers roared back with three of their own from, two from Rocio Fesembeck and one from Cross to knot the game at six.

The Pioneers' Jenn Lightbody opened up the third quarter scoring with a goal at 6:37 to take back the lead for the Pioneers. Sabrina Hatzer scored the second goal of the third for the Pioneers, while the Spartans responded with two of their own.

Cal State East Bay and San Jose State were tied at eight entering the final quarter when the Spartans broke the tie with 7:07 remaining and never looked back. The Spartans added on four more goals and the Pioneers were only able to net one by Brandi Carroll.

Cross, who shared the ACWPC Division ll Player of the Year honors last season, got a great start on repeating that feat with three goals in the opener. Fesembeck impressed in her Pioneer debut with two goals. Nikki Vaughn had 13 saves in the cage for the Pioneers.

Game Two: CSUEB 12, Cal State Bakersfield 9

The second match got off to a rough start for the Pioneers as they allowed four goals in the opening quarter, but was able to get two from Tori Dettloff to keep the game close.

The Pioneers took another bite of the Roadrunners advantage outscoring their opponents 4-3 in the second. The Pioneer goals were by Lightbody, Hatzer, Carroll, and Nicole Williams.

The second half of the game was all Pioneers as they scored six goals to the Roadrunners two goals.

The Roadrunners got the first goal of the quarter and that's it. Cross scored her fourth and fifth goals of the day and Olivia Mackell got in the goal column to send the Pioneers to the fourth quarter with a 9-8 lead.

The sixth Cross goal of the day made it 10-8 Pioneers. Rushforth and Lightbody scored goals and helped give Cal State East Bay their first win.

Vaughn had 10 saves in the second game and totaled 23 for Cal State East Bay.

Goal totals for the Pioneers were Cross with six, Lightbody with three, Rushforth two, Fesembeck two, Carroll two, Hatzer two, Dettloff two, Williams one, and Mackell with one.

"I was really proud of the way we played today. We started the game down 3-0 and showed good patience and disciplined water polo to come back," said Cal State East Bay Head Coach Lisa Cooper. "We had eight different goal scorers, which was great to see and our team defense was great. Nikki (Vaughn) was great in the cage and had some big saves."

Cal State East Bay next competes Jan. 23 at Fresno Pacific. Game time is slated for 1:00 P.M.