HAYWARD, Calif. – The Cal State East Bay softball team completed their California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) series sweep over the visiting Stanislaus State Warriors on Saturday, March 25 at Pioneer Field.
 
The Pioneers swept both doubleheaders to make it seven consecutive wins as they improved to 18-12 on the season and 14-12 in conference play.
 
CSUEB has now won three consecutive CCAA series and 10 of their last 12 outings.
 
East Bay capitalized on some early Warrior mistakes to claim a 2-0 lead after the opening inning of play. Ashley Allen doubled to lead off the game and finished with a hit and a run scored.
 
The Pioneers would add two more runs in the bottom if the fifth frame as Emilie Portesi singled through the left side to begin the inning. Portesi tallied two hits and two runs scored for CSUEB.
 
Courtney Leyba was walked a couple at bats later. Leyba went 2-for-2 for the game with two runs scored and a RBI. Sarah Fukushima knocked a RBI ground out to the pitcher bringing home Portesi.
 
Senior Marisa Lerma followed with a single up the middle to scored Leyba. Lerma completed the game with a hit and a RBI. Ali Cerminara doubled to end the inning for CSUEB. Carminara finished the game with double.
 
Stanislaus State evened the game at 4-4 with four runs in the top of the sixth frame. But the Pioneers answered with four runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth inning highlighted by a three-run blast from Sarah Fukushima.
 
Jennifer Palmares singled up the middle to lead off the inning. Palmares had two hits, including a double in the outing. In the next at bat Meghan Araneta pinch bat for Belle Palencia and reached on a fielder's choice. Emilie Portesi followed with a single up the middle and Courtney Leyba hit a single of her own up the middle.
 
That's when Sarah Fukushima stepped up to the plate and sealed the game for the Pioneers with league leading 11th home run of the season. Fukushima finished the game with a team best four RBIs, a hit and two runs scored.
 
Freshman Abby Greer (W, 9-6) picked up her 9th complete game tossing all seven innings, racking up three strikeouts and only walking three batters.
 
In the series finale Sarah Fukushima did not wait for late game heroics to extend her CCAA homer run lead. Fukushima smashed her CCAA leading 12th home run of the season in the opening inning of play.
 
Fukushima finished the game with two hits, three RBIs and a run scored. Fukushima now has six home runs in the last six game for East Bay, including three home runs during this series.
 
Stanislaus State added a run in the third inning to even the game at 1-1.
 
Ashley Allen saw Fukushima's home run and decided to add one of her own to break the tie in the bottom of the third frame.
 
After Emilie Portesi singled to center field Allen stepped up and crushed a home run to right center field to give the East Bay a 3-1 lead. For Allen it was her third home run of the season and her second of the series. Portesi had a hit and a run scored in the win.
 
The Warriors would tie the game again at 3-3 in the top of the fifth inning, but once again the Pioneers responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame to secure the series sweep.
 
Ashley Allen and Courtney Leyba were walked to lead off the inning. Sarah Fukushima singled to center field to score Allen. Allen went a hit, two runs scored and two RBIs and Leyba added one run for CSUEB.
 
Senior Ali Cerminara singled to left center to score Leyba as the Pioneers claimed the series sweep with a 5-3 victory. Cerminara has a hit and a RBI in the Pioneers win.
 
Sophomore Bailee Glover (W, 4-1) tossed her third complete game of the season as she finished with three strikeouts and and only allowed one earned run.
 
East Bay will compete in the Stanislaus State Tournament of Champions competing in six games between Friday, March 31 and Sunday, April 2.