HAYWARD, Calif., -- The Cal State East Bay softball team continues its California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) schedule this weekend with a four game home series against Cal State Dominguez Hills at Pioneer Softball Field.  
 
Because of weather, the games have been moved to a pair of doubleheaders on Saturday at 12:00 pm. and Sunday at 11:00 a.m.
 
East Bay is currently 8-10 on the season with a 4-8 mark in conference action.
 
WEEK IN REVIEW
The Pioneer Softball team was swept in a tough four game road series against No.8 ranked Chico State. Despite the outcome of the series Cal State East Bay was competitive in every contest.
 
The first game was a tremendous pitcher's dual between Abby Greer and reigning National Pitcher of the Week Haley Gilham, and it took until the bottom of the eighth before either team could score a run.
 
Gilham was typically dominant, scattering four hits in 8.0 scoreless frames. It wasn't as pretty, but Greer managed to match her. The sophomore gave up five hits, hit three batters, and issued eight walks. But her wizardry was on display all afternoon as Greer escaped jam after jam. She struck out nine and stranded 15 Chico runners on base through the first seven innings.
 
Then in the eighth, a walk and an error on a bunt put two runners on. A successful sacrifice moved them up, and then Gilham plated the walk-off run with a sac fly.
 
It was the fourth complete game of the year for Greer as her record falls to 2-4.
 
The potent Chico offense finally broke out in game two. They hit two home runs off Olivia McWhorter in the bottom of the first to grab a 5-0 lead, then took advantage of four walks by reliever Bailee Glover to score three more times before the inning was over.
 
CSUEB's lone run of the day came in the top of the second. After an infield hit by Sarah Fukushima and a walk to Amanda Loya, Courtney Leyba shot an RBI single into right field to get the Pioneers on the scoreboard.
 
But the Wildcats added on two more runs in the fourth, and held on to win the game by the eight-run rule in five innings.
 
Fukushima had two of East Bay's three hits in the second game, finishing 2-for-2 with a double.
 
Taylor Lara was effective in relief, allowing just two unearned runs over the game's final three innings with one walk and three strikeouts.
 
The first game of the day matched up Wildcat ace Haley Gilham with Pioneer sophomore Abby Greer for the second time in the series. Friday's game went scoreless into the eighth inning, and Saturday's sequel was a strong pitcher's duel as well. It was 0-0 in the bottom of the fourth when Chico finally grabbed the lead. A walk and an error got things started, then a pair of two-out hits made it 3-0 in favor of the home team.
 
After the Wildcats added another run in the fifth off reliever Taylor Lara, the Pioneers finally threatened in the last two innings. They loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth, but a 1-2-3 double play killed the rally.
 
In the seventh, Desiree Jimmy and Jennifer Palmares singled off Gilham, sandwiched around a walk to Belle Placencia, to load the bases again. With two outs, Maddie Ramirez drew a walk to plate East Bay's first run. Sarah Fukushima was then hit by a pitch to bring home another one. That made the score 4-2 with the tying runs on base, but Gilham struck out Bailee Glover to end it.
 
Ramirez reached base three times in game one, going 2-for-3.
 
For the second straight day, the second game of the afternoon featured scoring in the early innings. The Pioneers struck first in the top of the first against Naomi Monahan, as Palamres doubled to the opposite field to lead things off, advanced on Kassie Kochan's bunt, and scored the game's first run on a single by Ramirez. The Pioneer freshman knocked in two of CSUEB's three runs for the day.
 
But the Wildcats answered back with two runs off four hits against Glover in the bottom of the frame. In the second, Chico staged a two-out rally after Wnedy Cardinali walked and took second on a wild pitch. Back-to-back singles doubled Chico's lead and prompted head coach Claire Sua-Amundson to go to the bullpen.
 
Olivia McWhorter came in and was very effective for the remainder of the contest, allowing three hits in 4.1 scoreless innings. But the damage was done, and the Pioneers were once again unable to erase their deficit against an outstanding Wildcat pitching staff. East Bay put two runners on base in both the fifth and seventh innings, but couldn't come up with a two-out hit to push them across.
 
The Pioneers finished with six hits in the second game, led by Jimmy and Palmares who both went 2-for-3.
 
PIONEER POINTS
Offensively, sophomore Jennifer Palmares has been the Pioneers' top hitter with a .371 average, .451 on-base percentage, 12 runs scored and is second in the CCAA with six doubles. Freshman Maddie Ramirez (.333 avg, 14 RBI, 7 extra base hits) has been a welcome addition. She tallied multiple hits and at least one RBI in all five games she started two weeks ago. Junior Courtney Leyba is also off to a productive start with a .250 average, 11 runs, 13 RBI, and seven extra base hits including a conference leading seven triples.
 
All four Pioneers pitchers have contributed strong performances so far this year, resulting in a 2.83 team ERA. Bailee Glover leads the team with three victories and a 5.50 ERA, while Abby Greer boasts two shutouts, four complete games and a 2.27 ERA in a team-high 46.1 innings. Olivia McWhorter is 2-1 and after a tough start to the season, she has a 3.33 ERA so far on the season.
 
SCOUTING CAL STATE DOMINGUEZ HILLS
The Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros come into the series against CSUEB with an overall record of 6-11 with a 4-8 conference record after splitting their home series 2-2 with Cal State San Bernardino. Jazmin Guzman leads the Toros with a .360 batting average with 18 hits, 11 runs scored, four RBI and 20 total bases. Alyssa Olague leads Cal State Dominguez Hills with six complete games through 52.0 innings tossed. She has 13 strikeouts and one shutout.