CARSON, Calif. — Cal State East Bay closed its CCAA series at Cal State Dominguez Hills with a 9-7 victory Sunday afternoon at Toro Field.

The Pioneers struck early, taking advantage of defensive miscues in the first inning. Dominick Najar reached base and later scored, and Gio Martini drove in a run on a groundout to give East Bay a 2-0 lead.

Dominguez Hills responded with a solo home run in the second before taking a 3-2 lead in the third on another solo shot.

East Bay answered in the fifth when Martini delivered a solo home run to even the score at 3-3.

The Pioneers broke the game open in the sixth inning. Nick Thomson tripled to lead off the frame, and a combination of errors and timely hitting helped East Bay push across four runs. Micah Cervantes delivered a run-scoring bunt single, and Najar followed with an RBI single to extend the lead to 7-4.

East Bay added two more runs in the seventh. Caleb Chance came around to score, and Najar delivered a two-run single to push the advantage to 9-4.

Dominguez Hills rallied late, scoring twice in the seventh and adding another run in the ninth, but East Bay held on to secure the win.

Najar led the offense with two hits and three RBIs, while the Pioneers totaled 10 hits in the contest.

On the mound, Derek Murphy earned the win with four innings of relief, allowing three runs (two earned) while striking out three. Lincoln Juarez recorded the final two outs to secure the save.

Cal State East Bay returns home next week as conference play continues.