HAYWARD, Calif. - The Cal State East Bay baseball team hosted a CCAA doubleheader on Saturday against (RV) Cal State Monterey Bay. After dropping Saturday's first game 20-2, the Pioneers battled in the second game to win 4-2 in seven innings to split the doubleheader.
Game One: Cal State Monterey Bay 20, Cal State East Bay 2
The Otters' offense put on a productive display with the bats in game one. After an early 2-0 lead, they scored five runs each in the fourth and fifth inning, which were highlighted by a grand slam in the top of the fifth by KW Quilici.
The runs continued to pile up against the Pioneers, including one more in the sixth my CSUMB and seven more in the top of the eighth for a 20-0 lead through eight innings.
When it seemed that the Pioneers would be shut out, as they were down to their final out, Camron Grant kept the game going with a single. Following Grant's single, Carson Cripe launched his first home run as a Pioneer, a two-run shot, preventing the shutout. However, the Otters were able to make one final out two batters later.
Game Two: Cal State East Bay 4, Cal State Monterey Bay 2 (7 innings)
Looking for a better showing in game two on Saturday, the Pioneers started the bottom of the first with a leadoff single from Dominick Najar. Najar would steal second base, and reach third on a fly ball to follow. With Najar on third base, Luke Brown hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Najar, giving East Bay a 1-0 lead.
East Bay added three runs in the bottom of the third. Najar and Daniels led off with back-to-back singles, then Brown singled to drive in Najar for a 2-0 lead.
After Grant hit a sacrifice bunt to advance Daniels and Brown a base, each eventually scored in the inning when Jaylen Hodges delivered a single to drive them both in for a 4-0 lead.
CSUMB scored a pair of runs, capitalizing off an error early in the top of the fourth.
Although the Pioneers did not cross the plate the rest of the day, neither did the Otters, much to the credit of East Bay starting pitcher Max Gonzales, who pitched a complete seven inning game to improve to 2-1 on the season allowing no earned runs with eight strikeouts en route to a 4-2 win.
- Combining for three hits on the day was Grant.
- In game two, Najar and Grant had two hits each.
- Gonzales, not allowing an earned run, now has a 1.57 earned run average in 28.2 innings on the mound this season.
Cal State East Bay: 8-9, 4-3 CCAA
(RV) Cal State Monterey Bay: 11-7, 6-5 CCAA
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UP NEXT FOR CAL STATE EAST BAY |
Cal State East Bay hosts Cal State Monterey Bay on Sunday to close out the four-game CCAA series. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. at Pioneer Baseball Field in Hayward, California.
