HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay baseball team moved one step closer to its first ever appearance in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) tournament with a 7-1 win on Friday over Cal State Monterey Bay.

The Pioneers are now 28-17 overall and 19-15 in CCAA play after outlasting the Otters (31-15, 20-14 CCAA) in the opener of the final series of the season with light rain falling most of the afternoon at Pioneer Field. 

With three games left on the schedule, East Bay continues to hold a two-game lead over Sonoma State for the third and final playoff spot from the North Division. The race for the top is wide open right away, as just one game separates CSUMB (20-14), Chico State (20-15), and CSUEB (19-15). 

Sophomore hurler Alex Vesia (W, 6-4) was on top of his game in his final regular season start. The Pioneers staked him to an early lead as Rudy Navarro, Michael Thomas, and Chis Porter all drove in runs in a three-run first inning. Vesia dominated the Otters the rest of the way, allowing just five hits and striking out seven over 8.0 scoreless innings. 

Wise doubled to lead off the fourth, then came around to score on a wild pitch to make it 4-0. Porter picked up his second RBI of the game in the seventh with a two-out double into the left-center gap.

East Bay recorded four more hits and tacked on two more insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth, with Raymond Jones and Navarro knocking in a run each.

Senior right-hander Cole Compton tossed the ninth, allowing a run on two hits, two close out the victory.

The Pioneers racked up 14 hits despite the soggy conditions, led by Wise, Navarro, and Porter with three-hit performances. 

The series continues Saturday in Seaside with a doubleheader scheduled for 12 p.m. The Pioneers and Otters return to Hayward Sunday for the series finale, which will be preceded by the annual "Senior Day" ceremony.