HAYWARD, Calif., -- The Cal State East Bay baseball team dropped both ends of their Saturday afternoon, March 16 doubleheader against rival Cal State Monterey Bay at Pioneer Baseball Field.
 
With the pair of wins, the Otters claimed a 3-0 series lead over the Pioneers and bragging rights in the "Battle of the Bays" matchup.
 
East Bay moves to 9-15 overall on the season with a 6-12 mark in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play.
 
The opening game of the doubleheader started in favor of the Pioneers who jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first inning of play.
 
Ryan McSwain (Redwood City, Calif.) was walked to lead off the inning and two at bats later Kyosuke Ushimaru (Tokyo, Japan) singled to the shortstop to collect an RBI as McSwain scored the first run of the ballgame.
 
Jacob Eder (Prescott, Ariz.) followed with a single through the left side in the next at bat and two batters later Robert Lujan (Reno, Nev.) singled to center field to score Eder as the Pioneers ended the opening inning with a 2-0 lead.
 
Kyosuke Ushimaru notched a hit and a RBI and Jacob Eder recorded a hit and scored a run for CSUEB.
 
The Otters would then take the game over as they responded with three runs in the third innings, another run in the fourth, three more runs in the seventh and two final runs in the top of the eighth inning to claim a 9-2 victory.
 
Ryan McSwain, Robert Lujan and Ryan Thomasy (Redding, Calif.) all tallied two hits each for East Bay. McSwain scored a run and Lujan racked up an RBI and stole a base.
 
Adam Hollar (Livermore, Calif.) complied his fourth double of the season, while Omar Sanchez (Winton, Calif.) added a hit.
 
TJ Myers (Pleasanton, Calif.) got the start on the mound for East Bay and allowed three runs through two innings of action. Jacob Nelson (Jefferson, Wisc.) logged two strikeouts in nearly two innings of action. Ethan Brodsky (Mission Viejo, Calif.) paced the Pioneers with three strikeouts across just over three innings tossed. Ransome Alexander (Fullerton, Calif.) saw an inning on the mound and Michael Espino made the final appearance at pitchers for CSUEB and struck out one batter.
 
In the twinbill finale, it was the visiting Otters that jumped on the scoreboard first taking a 6-0 lead after headed into the bottom of the third inning. Monterey Bay would ultimately take a 7-0 lead as the team headed into the final inning of the day. That is when the Pioneers back caught fire and the home team Pios made a thrilling comeback attempt.
 
Ryan McSwain opened the inning with a single to to right field. Senior After Dakota Conners (Manteca, Calif.) reached on an error by the shortstop, Jacob Eder singled through the left side to load the bases. In the next at bat Steve Robinson (Yuba City, Calif.) picked up an RBI scoring McSwain on a fielder's choice.
 
McSwain finished with two hits and scored a run. Robinson tallied a hit, a run scored and an RBI. Eder notched a hit as well.
 
 Then Adam Hollar blasted a double to to left center, to bring home Conners followed by a sacrifice fly to right field by Matt Cantelme (Fair Oaks, Calif.) to bring home Robinson. In the next at bat Omar Sanchez singled up the middle to score Hollar and close the Otter lead to 7-4.
 
Hollar compiled a double, an RBI and scored a run while Omar Sanchez recorded a hit, a RBI and stole a base. Cantelme logged an RBI.
 
But the Pioneers could not complete the final inning comeback attempt as the Otters left Pioneer Baseball Field with a pair of league victories.
 
Connor Fleharty (L, 0-1) (Redding, Calif.) got the start on the mound and only allowed one run. Brian Martinez (Livermore, Calif.) finished the rest of the ball game racking up five strikeouts through just over six innings of action.
 
The Pioneer and Otter will conclude their "Battle of the Bays" series with a final game Sunday, March 17 at CSUMB Baseball Complex with a noon first pitch.