HAYWARD, Calif., -- The Pioneer softball team swept their opening day series over the visiting Dominican Penguins at the newly renovated Pioneer Softball Field on Saturday afternoon, February 3.
 
It was a tale of two different games as Cal State East Bay (2-0) won the opening game, 1-0 after a tough defensive duel. Then CSUEB used their strong offensive presence to come away with a, 10-9 victory in the doubleheader finale.
 
The opening game would see a pitching clinic from East Bay's Abby Greer (Beaverton, Ore.) and Dominican's Alyssa Waltman. Greer (W, 1-0) picked up her first win of the season after tossing a complete game in which she only allowed six hit and no runs scored. She retired two Penguin batters while hurling 98 total pitches from the mound.
 
The game deciding run would come as freshman Bailee Aguigui (Vacaville, Calif.) cracked a sacrifice fly to left field to score junior Kassie Kochan (San Ramon, Calif.). Kochan was pinch running for Junior Bailee Glover (Reno, Nev.) who began the inning with a single to left field.
 
Freshman Jocelyn Baldon (Chino Hills, Calif.) picked up her first career multi-hit performance to lead the Pioneers in the first contest. Baldon went 2-2 with a walk and also three put outs and three assists defensively.
 
Aguigui, Glover, Rachel Tadlock (Woodland, Calif.), and Jennifer Palmares (Elk Grove, Calif.) each added one hit apiece for East Bay.
 
The second game of the double header brought more offensive as East Bay scored six first inning runs. The Pioneers would score one run in the second and two more runs in the the third inning of action.
 
But the Penguins would answer with eight runs of their own in the top of the third inning to lock the game at 9-9 after scoring a run in the first inning.
 
The game winning score would come as freshman Maddie Ramirez (Chino Hills, Calif.) reached on a fielder's choice and junior Courtney Leyba (Huntington Beach, Calif.) crossed home plate after an error by the Dominican second basemen.
 
Leyba led the Pioneers with three hits and three runs scored. She added two RBI, a triple and a stolen base. Sophomore Sarah Fukushima (Sacramento, Calif.) also compiled three hits and two RBI. She chipped in two a double and a run scored.
 
Palmares finished with two doubles in four at bats. She also scored a run and added a RBI. Ramirez also knocked two hits and notched a team best three RBI with a run and a double.
 
Glover, Emilie Portesi (Chino, Calif.) and Desiree Jimmy (Los Angeles, Calif.) all chipped in one hit each. Glover (W, 1-0) added a run while picking up the win on the mound after tossing 97 pitches through 4.1 innings of action. Portesi finished with a run scored and Jimmy recorded her first career RBI.
 
Abby Greer picked up the save, her first of the season after retiring the final to batter of the afternoon. Olivia McWhorter (Cypress, Calif.) also saw two innings of play on the mound for the Pioneers.
 
The Pioneers will return to action with a non-conference road matchup with Academy of Art on Wednesday afternoon, February 7 with the opening pitch at noon.