HAYWARD, Calif., -- The Cal State East Bay softball team opened their Bay Bridge home series against California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) rival San Francisco State by splitting their Thursday afternoon doubleheader at Pioneer Softball Field.
 
With the split the Pioneers move to 16-27 on the season and 10-20 in CCAA action.
 
Both ends of the twinbill were low scoring affairs as three runs was all that was needed to come away with a victory.
 
In the opening game of the doubleheader, the Pioneer out-hit the visiting Gators 6-4 but were plagued by a couple of errors. CSUEB scored the first run of the afternoon as Maddie Ramirez (Chino Hills, Calif.) was walked with the bases loaded bringing home Belle Placencia (Apple Valley, Calif.). Ramirez finished with the Pioneers only RBI of the outing and Placencia added a hit and a run scored.
 
SF State would score a run in the top of the fourth inning to tie the ballgame and added two more runs in the fifth inning to secure the, 3-1 victory to take game one of the series.
 
Jennifer Palmares (Elk Grove, Calif.), Sarah Fukushima (Sacramento, Calif.), Courtney Leyba (Huntington Beach, Calif.), Meghan Araneta (Foothill Ranch, Calif.) and Baille Aguigui (Vacaville, Calif.) all tallied a hit apiece for Cal State East Bay.
 
Abby Greer (L, 5-13) (Beaverton, Ore) got the start in the circle for the Pioneers and tossed a complete game with a game high three strikeouts. Greer now has 12 complete games on the season and leads CSUEB with 76 punchouts.
 
In the doubleheader finale sophomore Olivia McWhorter (W, 3-7) (Cypress, Calif.) went the distance, helping Cal State East Bay garner a split to open the four game CCAA series.
 
The Pioneers jumped out to an early, 2-0 lead in the opening inning of action before adding their final run of the game in the bottom of the fifth innings. East Bay was able to hold off a late SF State rally in the top of the seventh inning to pull off the, 3-2 win.
 
Courtney Leyba and Rachel Tadlock (Woodland, Calif.) both registered multi-hit performances for CSUEB as Leyba finished with two hits, including a triple, an RBI and a run scored. Tadlock compiled two hits and an RBI.
 
Jennifer Palmares led East Bay with two runs scored to go along with a hit. Sarah Fukushima chipped in a hit and an RBI.
 
Due to rainy weather in the forecast East Bay and SF State will conclude their CCAA Bay Bridge series finale with a doubleheader set for Saturday, April 7 at Pioneer Softball Field with opening pitch set for noon.