CARSON, Calif. — Cal State East Bay split Saturday's doubleheader at Cal State Dominguez Hills, earning an 8-3 win in the opener before falling 6-5 in the nightcap at Toro Field.
In game one, the Pioneers set the tone early and maintained control throughout behind a balanced offensive effort.
East Bay jumped out in front in the first inning, capitalizing on aggressive baserunning and a defensive miscue to take a 2-0 lead. The Pioneers added another run in the second on an RBI single from Logan Stelling to extend the advantage to 3-0.
The lead grew in the fourth inning when Alijah Ramos lined a two-run double down the right-field line, pushing the margin to 5-0.
Cal State Dominguez Hills got on the board in the sixth and added two more in the seventh, trimming the deficit to 5-3, but East Bay responded late.
The Pioneers added insurance in the eighth on an RBI single from Caleb Chance before breaking the game open in the ninth. Ramos delivered another run-scoring hit, and Marc DiCarlo Jr. added an RBI as East Bay closed out the 8-3 victory.
Ramos led the offense with four hits and four RBIs, while Dominick Najar scored three runs and added three hits. The Pioneers finished with 16 hits in the opener.
On the mound, Jackson Ellis worked four scoreless innings in the start. Noah Zirkle earned the win in relief, and William Gnibus secured the save with three innings to finish the game.
The second game featured a tighter contest that came down to the final inning.
East Bay struck first once again, scoring in the opening frame on a groundout by Gio Martini to take a 1-0 lead.
Dominguez Hills answered in the second with two runs and added another in the third to move ahead 3-2.
The Pioneers responded in the sixth. Marc DiCarlo Jr. doubled in a run, Cristian Angulo drew a bases-loaded walk, and Micah Cervantes lifted a sacrifice fly to give East Bay a 5-3 lead.
The Toros mounted their comeback in the bottom of the seventh. An RBI single cut the deficit to one before a two-run double down the left-field line gave Dominguez Hills a 6-5 advantage.
East Bay threatened in the final frame but was unable to push across the tying run.
Najar scored twice and recorded a double, while DiCarlo Jr. and Martini each drove in runs. The Pioneers finished with six hits in the nightcap.
Jaxen McAdara tossed six innings in the start, allowing three runs, while Lincoln Juarez was charged with the loss after surrendering the go-ahead runs in the seventh.
Cal State East Bay continues its CCAA schedule on the road.
