HAYWARD, Calif.-- Cal State East Bay is right in the thick of the postseason hunt in the CCAA and every win is important. They got two big ones over visiting Cal State San Marcos Saturday. In game one, the Pioneers won 7-3 and downed the Cougars 8-4 in game two. The Pioneers CCAA record jumps to 16-12 and are now 25-14 overall. The Cougars fell to 12-16 in conference and 20-20 overall.

GAME ONE: Cal State East Bay 7, Cal State San Marcos 3

The Pioneers Alex Vesia and the Cougars Cameron Mackenzie were stifling the offenses early on as there wasn't a hit until Rudy Navarro singled with one out in the bottom of the fourth. The game didn't see its first runs until the bottom of the fifth when East Bay struck for four.

Marcus Wise singled to score Myles Babitt and make it 1-0. The next three runs came in thrilling fashion as Rudy Navarro hit a hard shot down the right field line that got through to the wall. An inside-the-park home run was a possibility and Navarro made it happen easily to score three and make it 4-0. It was Navarro's first home run of the season.

The Cougars would score three in the top of the sixth to make it 4-3, but the Pioneers would answer in the bottom half of the inning with three of their own to regain their four-run lead.

The pitching efforts of starter Alex Vesia, Andrew Fernandez, and Angel Lara would hold the Cougars to three runs and the Pioneers would grab a game one victory.

Vesia pitched 5.2 innings and gave up three earned runs on three hits and got the win (4-4). Fernandez and Lara pitched the last 3.1 innings and only allowed one hit total. Lara struck out three of the four batters he faced.

Navarro and Marcus Wise each had two hits and three RBI's in the game. Babitt and Chris Porter both had two-hit games.

GAME TWO: Cal State East Bay 8, Cal State San Marcos 4

The Pioneers jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two and wouldn't relinquish the lead the rest of the way. Starting pitcher Nick Sergi was up to the task Saturday, as he held the Cougars to two earned runs on six hits and got the win to improve his record to 3-1.

East Bay would blow the game open in the sixth with three runs to make it 8-2. The Pioneers sent eight men to the plate and in the big inning. Navarro, Chris Porter, and Dakota Conners all had RBI's in the sixth.

The Cougars would plate two in the ninth, but the Pioneers would get the last out in the ninth and now look forward to pursuing a sweep of the three-game series.

Babitt and Porter both had great games in the second game. Babitt went 3 for 3 with an RBI, while Porter went 2 for 4 with two RBI's.

Navarro had another two hits in the game and went 4 for 8 on the day to raise his average to .420. Raymond Jones went 2 for 4 and average now sits at .391. Conners and Michael Frantz both got two hits in the second game.

East Bay and San Marcos conclude their series Sunday at Pioneer Field. First pitch is slated for 11:00 A.M.