HAYWARD, Calif. – The Cal State East Bay softball team will host their final California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) home series of the season against Cal State San Bernardino.
 
The Pioneers (26-22, 18-16 CCAA) and Coyotes (34-16, 24-12 CCAA) with doubleheaders on Friday, April 28 beginning at 1:00 p.m. and Saturday, April 29 with 11:00 a.m. start.
 
Before Saturday's doubleheader the Pioneers will honor their three seniors: Ashley Allen, Ali Cerminara and Marisa Lerma.
 
WEEK IN REVIEW
The Cal State East Bay softball team dropped both ends of their doubleheader matchup against the visiting Dominican Penguins on Sunday, April 23 at Pioneer Softball Field.
 
The Pioneers fell 0-3 in both games of the Sunday doubleheader as the Penguins pitching and defense stifled the normally potent CSUEB offensive attack.
 
The opening game was a pitchers duel between East Bay's Abby Greer (L, 13-11) and Dominican's Gaby Katafias (W, 5-13).
 
Abby led the Pioneers with a career-high five strikeouts, no walks and six scoreless innings tossed. Greer also registered her 17 complete game.
 
Although they were not able to convert any hits into runs, Freshmen Sarah Fukushima and Emilie Portesi both led East Bay with two hits apiece, including a double for Fukushima. Belle Placencia added the Pioneers only other hit of the outing with a single to left field in the bottom of the fifth frame.
 
The Penguins were able to create some offense in the top of the seventh inning to calim a 3-0 victory in the opening game.
 
The the doubleheader finale saw more shutout pitching from Dominican's Katelyn Harden (W, 14-8) backed by tremendous defense by the Penguins. Olivia McWhorter (L, 8-8) got the start for the Pioneers and tied a season-high with four strikeouts. She also recorded her seventh complete game of the season.
 
Tanya Galvan garnered CSUEB's lone hit of the game with a single up the middle to lead off the bottom of the seventh frame. Ashely Allen also recorded her team-leading 14th base after being walked to lead off the game for East Bay.
 
The Penguins broke the scoreless game with two runs in the fourth inning on back-to-back home run jack and their final run in the sixth frame of action.
 
 
 
FABULOUS FRESHMEN
Pioneer freshman Abby Greer, Sarah Fukushima, Emilie Portesi, Olivia McWhorter and Jennifer Palmares have been key players for the East Bay softball team this season.
 
Abby Greer is 16th in the CCAA with 2.34 ERA with a 13-11 record. She has tossed 155.2 innings, 5th in the CCAA, with 17 complete games, which is good for 6th in the in the conference. Greer's 72 strikeouts lead the Pioneers and are 8th in the CCAA. She has struck out 38 batters looking which is tops in the conference. Her six shutouts victories are currently 3rd in the CCAA.
 
Sarah Fukushima is tied for the CCAA lead with 13 home runs so far on the season, which is tied for 15th in the nation. Fukushima is 4th in the CCAA with a team-leading .646 slugging percentage and currently has a .319 batting average. Fukushima has 46 hits, 41 runs scored and a team leading 93 total bases, which are 4th and 3rd in the conference. Her 42 RBIs are also 4th in the CCAA.
 
Emilie Portesi has a .279 batting average with a .373 on-base percentage with a .419 slugging percentage. Portesi has compiled 36 hits, 24 runs scored with 21 RBIs and 54 total bases. She is also tied for 4th on the team with four home runs.
 
Olivia McWhorter has appeared in 21 games and is 2nd on East Bay with 14 starts and 2nd with 39 strikeouts. She has a 3.88 ERA with an 8-8 record. McWhorter has tossed 92.0 innings with seven complete games.
 
Jennifer Palmares leads the team a .347 batting average and had a .500 slugging percentage. Palmares has tallied 43 hits, scored 27 runs, 62 total bases and 28 RBIs. She has seven doubles and has hit four homers on the season.
 
VITAL VETERENS
While several freshmen have displayed fantastic play in their first season at East Bay the upperclassmen have also provided the leadership threw action for the young Pioneers.
 
Senior Ashley Allen is 23th in the conference batting .333 which is second on CSUEB. She has 47 hits and 41 runs scored which is second in the CCAA. Allen has compiled 71 total bases, 22 RBIs and a .504 slugging percentage with six home runs.
 
Senior Marisa Lerma leads the CCAA with a .500 on-base percentage and 19 hit by pitches. Lerma is batting .306 through 48 games. She has 37 hits, 16 runs, 29 RBIs, 50 total bases and two home run blasts. She is slugging .413 so far on the season. Lerma is also 6th in the CCAA with 28 walks. She is currently tied for 10th all-time with 73 RBIs and tied for 9th all-time with 30 doubles.
 
Senior Ali Cerminara, the all-time leader in home runs, added to her career mark with seven homers on the season (31). She is now the all-time leader in school history with 122 RBIs and 6th all-time with 35 doubles. She is batting .321 with 44 hits, 23 runs scored, 33 RBIs, 72 total bases and a .526 slugging percentage.
 
Sophomore Tanya Galvan has added 41 hits, 27 runs scored, 18 RBIs and 47 total bases. She has a .320 batting average and a .367 slugging percentage. Galvan leads the Pioneers with one triple through 45 games played on the year.
 
Sophomore Courtney Leyba is 6th on the Pioneers with a .309 batting average. She is 6th on the team with a .403 slugging percentage. Leyba has compiled 46 hits, 28 runs scored, 21 RBIs and 60 total bases through 44 games played. She leads the Pioneers with 11 doubles which is tied for 7th in the conference.
 
Sophomore Bailee Glover has a record of 5-3 on the season as she has appeared in 24 games making 10 starts. She is 39th the CCAA with a 5.42 ERA through 63.1 innings pitched. Glover is third on the Pioneers with 26 strikeouts and has one save and three complete games so far on the season.
 
PIONEER POINTS
East Bay is currently tied for the conference lead with 38 home runs The Pioneers are also 2nd with 269 runs scored, 3rd with 581 total bases and a .437 slugging percentage, which ranks 4th in the conference.
 
CSUEB is 2nd in the CCAA with a .299 batting average, 4th with 387 hits and 2nd with 235 RBIs.
 
East Bay is 8th in the CCAA with a 3.42 team ERA and 7th with a 311.0 innings tossed. The Pioneers are 10th in the conference with 137 strikeouts, but are 3rd in the CCAA with 59 batters struck out swinging and are tied for 6th with 26 wins.
 
SCOUTING CAL STATE SAN BERNARDINO
The Coyotes are currently 34-16 on the season with a 24-12 mark in CCAA action, winning six straight sweeping San Francisco State 4-0 last weekend. CSUSB sits 6th in the West Region Poll and are batting .288 with a .372 on-base percentage and 10 players batting over .250. The Coyotes pitching staff has a combined 2.02 ERA with 201 strikeouts through 333.1 innings tossed. Jessica Brown leads the team with a .366 batting average with 49 hits, 46 RBIs and 28 runs scored. Cassandra Williams leads San Bernardino with a 1.53 ERA and leads the team with 20 wins and 155 strikeouts through 201.0 innings tossed.
 
The Pioneers and Seawolves split their series 2-2 at Softball Park in San Bernardino in 2016.
 
ASI will be hosting a tailgate with free food this Friday, April 28 before the series opening game against Cal State San Bernardino beginning at 12:30 p.m. at Pioneer Sofball Field.