HAYWARD, Calif. – Trailing 7-0, a comeback seemed almost out of reach for the Cal State East Bay baseball team on Sunday. But almost also includes a chance, which the Pioneers used to their advantage in the final three innings, as they scored nine unanswered runs from a pair of two-run home runs, a bases loaded walk,  and a three-run triple and a run on a wild pitch for a 9-7 win over No. 30-t Cal State San Bernardino in the finale of a CCAA series.
 

GAME SUMMARY

The Coyotes took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second, then added three more runs in the top of the third with two runs off a double from Daryl Ruiz.
 
Ruiz struck again in the top of the fifth with a two-run home run to give CSUSB a 6-0 lead. Two batters later, Jeremy Giesegh hit a solo home run as the Coyotes had a 7-0 lead.
 
The rally for the Pioneers started with a single from Aidan Morton, then a pinch-hit home run from Jacob Froess put East bay on the board.
 
After the home run, Jaylen Hodges and Dominick Najar singled, and Danelle Daniels reached on a hit-by-pitch to load the bases. Luke Brown drew a bases loaded walk as the deficit was cut to four, trailing 7-3.
 
Camron Grant kept the rally going with a triple to drive in all three runners to bring the Pioneers within a run.
 
Then a wild pitch allowed Grant to score the tying run to complete a seven-run seventh inning to tie the game at 7-7 very quickly.
 
Although the Coyotes loaded the bases and threatened to take the lead back, RJ Aranda had a strikeout to end the top of the eighth with the game still even at 7-7.
 
With one out in the bottom of the eighth, Hodges hit another single. Then, Nick Thomson delivered a two-run home run to right field giving the Pioneers a 9-7 lead after nine runs were unanswered.
 
In the top of the ninth, with a runner on base and the tying run at the plate, Aranda had one more strikeout. Then Caleb Schaeffer was called to make one more out as the closer. And he did as he caught a popup in the infield for the final out to complete an incredible comeback for the Pioneers to close out the series with a 9-7 win over Cal State San Bernardino.
 

NOTABLE STATS

• Froess's home run has the first of his Pioneer career.
• Hodges went 3-for-4 and scored two runs.
• Najar and Morton had two hits each on Sunday.
• Morton went 8-for-12 in the series. He doubled in his first at-bat which extended a streak to four-straight doubles in as many at-bats going back to Saturday's second game.  
• Thomson hit two home runs throughout the series.
• Aranda picked up the win as a reliever to go to 1-0 with 2.2 scoreless innings pitched and two strikeouts.
• Schaeffer earned his second save of the season.

RECORDS

Cal State East Bay: 13-13, 9-7 CCAA
No. 30-t Cal State San Bernardino: 21-9, 13-7 CCAA
 

UP NEXT FOR CAL STATE EAST BAY

The Pioneers are set to play a four-game CCAA road series from March 28-30 at Cal State Dominguez Hills. Game one of the series is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. from Toro Baseball Field in Carson, California.