HAYWARD, Calif. -- It was a good Saturday to be a Pioneer, as the Cal State East Bay softball team celebrated Homecoming weekend by sweeping both ends of a doubleheader against No. 15 ranked Cal State Monterey Bay.

Sophomores Olivia McWhorter and Abby Greer combined to allow no earned runs and just seven hits in 14 innings to a potent Otter lineup that had scored 17 runs in Friday's doubleheader. 

The Pioneers ended up splitting the four-game set to open California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play against the defending regular season champs. It improves their record to an even 4-4 in the young season.

Neither squad used its bullpen on this warm, sunny day at Pioneer Field as all four starting pitchers were effective in complete game efforts. 

East Bay only totaled four hits in the first game of the day, but made them count, taking advantage of just enough scoring situations to pull out a narrow 2-1 victory. 

The game's first run came in the bottom of the third inning. Emilie Portesi led off and was hit by a pitch before stealing second, then moving up to third on a wild pitch. Jocelyn Baldon's single then gave the Pioneers a 1-0 lead.

The Otters tied the game in the fourth, taking advantage of an error, then ripping off two straight base hits. But McWhorter was able to strand two runners and keep the game even at 1-1, a huge momentum boost for the home team.

The game stayed tied into the sixth, giving Bailee Glover the chance to be the offensive hero. Jennifer Palmares doubled off Hayley Fein to lead off the inning. Then with two outs, Glover brought home the go-ahead run with an opposite field single. 

In the seventh, McWhorter was able to strand the tying run at third base, getting two straight ground outs to secure the dramatic win. It was her first victory of the season as a starter and her first complete game.

Greer took the cue from McWhorter's outstanding performance and did her best to one-up her in the second game. After a pair of rocky outings on Friday, Greer was dominant early against the Otters, retiring the first six batters in order.

She walked two batters and hit another in the third inning, but managed to leave the bases loaded with a huge strikeout to escape what ended up being her only jam of the afternoon.

The Pioneer bats broke out in the bottom half of the frame, as the first five batters reached base. Palmares, Courtney Leyba, and Rachel Tadlock all got hits in the inning, and East Bay took advantage of two errors and a hit-by-pitch to push three runs across the plate.

That turned out to be plenty of support for Greer, who carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning. An infield single by Joanna Perruccio ended that bid, but Greer proceeded to retire the final six hitters in order to notch a one-hit shutout. 

Next up, CSUEB hosts Holy Names for a pair of non-conference Valentine's Day games this Wednesday afternoon before hitting the road to continue their CCAA schedule at Stanislaus State next weekend.