HAYWARD, Calif., -- The Cal State East Bay baseball team opened their California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) home series against #5 UC San Diego with a tough 21-2 defeat on Thursday afternoon, May 2 at Pioneer Baseball Field.
 
With the series opening loss, the Pioneers fall to 22-25 overall on the season with a 19-22 mark in the league action. CSUEB is still in the thick of the CCAA playoff race with this being the final series of the regular season. 
 
East Bay struggled to find their offense in the ball game as they only accumulated five total hits as a team. CSUEB's defense did not fair much better as they committed five errors in the outing.
 
Blake Corsentino (L, 3-5) (Ventura, Calif.) got the start on the mound for the Pioneers and hurled the first three innings on the contest. Corsentino recorded one strikeout during his time on the mound.
 
After a scoreless first inning, the visiting Tritons caught fire compiling 16 total runs through the next four innings to take a 16-0 headed into the sixth inning. UCSD would add one more run in the top of the seventh inning to take a 17-0 advantage.
 
Michael Espino (South San Francisco, Calif.) entered the game in the fourth innings and notched two strikeouts without giving up any earned runs. Connor Fleharty (Redding, Calif.) took over pitching duties in the fifth inning retiring one batter while only allowing three hits. TJ Myers (Pleasanton, Calif.) paced the Pioneers with three punch outs with only one earned run given up through two innings of work.
 
The bottom of the seventh inning is when the Pioneers converted their offense into runs. Senior Dakota Conner (Manteca, Calif.) got things going with a lead off single up the middle. Then fellow senior Steve Robinson (Yuba City, Calif.) stepped to the plate and belted an RBI triple to deep center field for the Pioneers first run of the afternoon. Back-to-back walks of Paul Bryniarski (Fountain Hills, Calif.) and Kyosuke Ushimaru (Tokyo, Japan) loaded the bases for East Bay. With two outs on the scoreboard and bases loaded Omar Sanchez (Winton, Calif.) shot gunned a rocket off the Tritons pitcher to score Robinson as they Pioneers ended the inning trailing 17-2.
 
Steve Robinson finished the game with two hits, including his team-leading third triple, with an RBI and a run scored. Dakota Conners added a hit and scored a run for East Bay. Omar Sanchez compiled a hit and a RBI while Kyosuke Ushimaru recorded a hit and drew a walk.
 
Unfortunately for East Bay it would be their only runs of the ball game as UC San Diego would go on to add four more runs in the top of the ninth inning bringing the final to 21-2.
 
Matt Woinarowicz (Yorba Linda, Calif.) and Jordan Milligan (San Jose, Calif.) tossed the final two innings of action for CSUEB. Woinarowicz was economical as he forced three outs while only hurling 18 total pitches and Milligan garnered three outs while facing eight UCSD batters.
The Pioneers and Tritons will continue their series with a doubleheader on Friday afternoon, May 2 with the opening pitch of the the first game scheduled to begin at noon.