TURLOCK, Calif. — Cal State East Bay relied on timely execution and steady pitching Saturday afternoon, edging Stan State 2-1 at Warrior Baseball to secure its second CCAA win of the weekend.
The Pioneers (10-7, 2-0 CCAA) scored once in the first and added another in the fourth, making the slim margin stand behind a composed effort from the mound.
Dominick Najar set the tone early with a leadoff single in the opening inning and later crossed the plate when Logan Stelling lined an RBI single through the middle to give East Bay a 1-0 lead.
The second run came in the fourth. Alijah Ramos reached and advanced into scoring position before coming home on a Stan State throwing error, extending the advantage to 2-0.
Stan State broke through in the bottom half of that inning with an RBI single to trim the deficit to one, but the Pioneers' pitching staff took control from there.
Jackson Ellis delivered 5.2 innings in his start, allowing one run while striking out four to earn his first victory of the season. Ryan Juric handled the final 3.1 innings for his first save, navigating traffic late and striking out four to secure the win.
East Bay finished with five hits and turned two double plays defensively, preserving the narrow road victory.
In the second game of the doubleheader, the Pioneers built an early cushion but ultimately fell 12-10 to Stan State in a high-scoring contest.
East Bay stormed out of the gates, plating three runs in the first inning before erupting for five more in the second to take an 8-0 lead.
Stelling doubled to help ignite the first-inning scoring, and Gio Martini drove in a run before additional pressure and hit-by-pitches extended the lead to 3-0.
The second inning proved even more productive. Najar doubled, Stelling singled home a run, and Ramos delivered an RBI double. Caleb Chance followed with a two-run single, and Kyle Dyer added an RBI hit as East Bay surged ahead 8-0.
Stan State answered immediately with eight runs in the bottom of the second, capitalizing on hit batters and defensive miscues to even the score at 8-8.
Martini briefly swung momentum back in the third with a solo home run to center, and East Bay added another run in the fifth on an RBI walk from Dylan Unangst to move in front 10-8.
The Warriors responded again in the bottom of the fifth, piecing together key hits and taking advantage of two errors to score four runs and claim a 12-10 lead.
Stelling paced the offense with three hits and three runs scored, while Martini finished 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs. Ramos and Chance each contributed run-scoring hits as East Bay totaled 12 hits in the game.
The Pioneers threatened in the sixth after a double from Cristian Angulo, but Stan State's bullpen held firm over the final two innings to close out the contest.
Cal State East Bay will look to respond as the conference series continues.
