TURLOCK, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay baseball team opened its road series at Stanislaus State on Friday by splitting a doubleheader at Warrior Field. The home team notched a 1-0 walk-off victory in the opener, then the Pioneers rode a huge first-inning output to an 8-4 win on the back end of the twinbill. 

The split snapped a four-game win streak for the Pioneers, putting them at 9-7 overall with a 6-4 mark in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play.

It was an exciting day of baseball in Turlock, and the fans were treated to a fantastic pitcher's dual in game one. East Bay senior Jacob Nelson was brilliant in his fourth start of the season, turning in his best performance in a Pioneer uniform. The right-hander scattered three hits and struck out seven, needing just 67 pitches to breeze through six scoreless innings. 

Junior Ransome Alexander was excellent as well in relief of Nelson. He held the Warriors off the scoreboard in the seventh and eighth innings before a two-out walk, a stolen base, and a walk-off single plated the game's only run in the bottom of the ninth.

Unfortunately, the Pioneer bats weren't able to do much against Stanislaus starter Chase Wheatcroft, who pitched a complete game to earn the shutout victory. East Bay got runners into scoring position on a few occasions, but could never string multiple hits together. Wheatcroft now has a streak of 27.2 straight innings without allowing a run.

All that offensive frustration was exercised quickly in the second game, however, as the Pioneers finally broke out at the plate. Warrior lefty-hander Rylan Tinsley walked the first two batters of the top of the first inning, and then East Bay followed with five hits to chase him out of the game after just 0.1 innings. The Pioneers sent 13 batters to the plate in the opening frame of game two, and when the dust settled they led 7-0.

That provided a nice cushion for freshman right-hander Blake Corsentino, who turned in another strong effort following his two-hit shutout versus Cal State San Bernardino last weekend. The Warriors got a run back against him in the second, but Corsentino was otherwise effective through the first four innings. 

After East Bay made it 8-1 on a double steal in the fifth, Stanislaus mounted its biggest rally of the game in the bottom of the frame. The home team scored three time on three hits, capped off by a two-run triple into the right field corner. Sophomore Mark Woinarowicz came out of the bullpen to record the third out and keep the score 8-4.

Woinarowicz came back out for the sixth and quickly got into trouble as he allowed two singles, then issued a walk to load the bases with nobody out. But the right-hander put a damper on Stanislaus's comeback hopes, getting two harmless shallow fly balls for the first two outs, then striking out Jack Large to escape the jam.

The seventh and final inning was much less dramatic, as Woinarowicz retired the Warriors in order to close out the win.

Nicholas Enrico was the only Pioneer with multiple hits in the game. The senior filled up the box scored going 2-for-2 with a double, a walk, an RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base. Fellow senior Joey Dice knocked in a pair of runs as part of CSUEB's seven-run rally to open the game.

Weather permitting, the Pioneers and Warriors will continue their series Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. in Turlock.