HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay baseball team finished off an impressive four-game sweep of visiting Cal State San Bernardino on Sunday, defeating the Coyotes by a final score of 8-5 in the finale. 

The Pioneers improve to 8-6 overall with a 5-3 mark in conference games through the first two weeks of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) schedule. This marks the first time CSUEB has swept a four-game series since February of 2017 against Fresno Pacific. It's the first time the Pioneers have won all four games in a CCAA series since sweeping these same Coyotes at Pioneer Field back in 2015.

The Pioneers did all their offensive damage in the third, fourth and fifth innings, and they need just six hits to plate eight runs. CSUSB actually out-hit them for the game, but East Bay took advantage of 10 walks and four hit-by-pitches by Coyote pitching. 

Senior Jacob Nelson started on the mound and recorded zeroes in the first two innings before the Coyotes finally got on the board with a pair of runs in the top of the third. That seemed to awaken the Pioneer bats, however, as they quickly answered back. A walk to Ryan McSwain and a single by Steve Robinson put runners at the corners, then a sacrifice fly by Adam Hollar and a line drive single to center by Kyosuke Ushimaru tied the score 2-2.

The Pioneers went back to work the following inning, although they didn't have to do much actual work to take the lead. Matty Cantelme was hit by a pitch to lead things off, and then East Bay drew four consecutive walks to score a pair of runs. Ushimaru then picked up another RBI with a ground out to make it 5-2.

In the fifth, CSUSB was let down by its defense as a two infield errors brought home another run for the home team. Then with the bases loaded and two outs, Adam Hollar broke it open with a two-run opposite-field single. 

Left-hander TJ Myers followed Nelson out of the bullpen and worked scoreless frames in the fourth and fifth as the Pioneers took the lead, ultimately earning his first victory of the season.

The Coyotes got two runs back in the seventh and plated another in the eighth before head coach Mike Cummins called on Ransome Alexander to escape the jam, which he did. Mark Woinarowicz came in with two runners on the ninth, but made quick work of the Coyotes, retiring all three batters her faced to notch his third save.

With eight more runs in Sunday's contest, the East Bay offense totaled 23 runs in 25 innings over the last three games of the series. Through 14 games overall this season, the Pioneers are batting .292 as a team and the rank second among CCAA squads in runs scored.

The Pioneers will look to keep that momentum going next weekend when they travel out to Turlock for a four-game roads series at Stanislaus State.