Pioneers Fall to Cal State Stanislaus in Doubleheader Action

  • April 9, 2010

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HAYWARD, Calif. - The Cal State East Bay softball team dropped a pair of games to Cal State Stanislaus in the series-opening doubleheader on Friday afternoon. The Pioneers (12-26, 5-21 CCAA) played their fifth and sixth games of the week, falling 4-1 in game one and 5-1 in game two against the Warriors at Pioneer Field.

Cal State Stanislaus got off to a quick start, scoring two runs on two hits in the top of the first, getting a two-run homer to right from Missy Corral to take a 2-0 lead. After East Bay sat down in order in their half of the first, the Warriors continued to build on the momentum, chasing junior starter Cat Schorn from the game and scoring another two runs in the second to take a 4-0 lead.

The Pioneers answered back in the bottom of the second, getting a leadoff single from junior outfielder Nikki Freiberg and an RBI double from sophomore second baseman Breezy Johnson to cut the lead to 4-1. Junior designated player Dani Foster followed with a single and senior outfielder Sarah Davini drew a walk before CSUS starter Brittani Weatherford got a strikeout to end the inning and leave the bases loaded.

With a three-run lead to work with, Weatherford went to work, allowing just one hit, while striking out three over the final five innings. Freshman reliever Lauren Zweigle matched Weatherford, giving up just two hits in just over five innings of shutout softball.

Though Zweigle struck out 10 batters in the final 5.2 innings and struck out the side in the fourth, the Pioneer offense could not figure out Weatherford, who picked up her sixth win of the season and helped CSUS move into a tie with East Bay in the CCAA standings. Schorn took the loss, allowing four runs on three hits and walking one in 1.1 innings of work.

Game two brought more of the same in the first inning for the Warriors, who scored two runs on three hits off Zweigle to start the game off with a 2-0 lead. The Pioneers answered back in the bottom half, with Johnson driving a leadoff homer to left to cut the lead to 2-1.

After a quiet second and third, the Warriors got a leadoff single from shortstop Sarah Locarnini in the top of the fourth and took advantage of an error to take a 3-1 lead and drive Zweigle from the game in favor of Schorn. Working with a two-run advantage, CSUS starter Jennifer Arnold got into a rhythm, allowing just two hits in the final four innings.

After getting walks from freshman Emily Montanez and Foster in the bottom of the fifth, Pioneer freshman shortstop Ashlee Coronado got an infield single to load the bases with two outs, but Arnold got out of the inning to hold on to the 3-1 lead. The Warriors would add another two runs in the top of the sixth, taking advantage of two East Bay errors to seal the 5-1 victory.

Arnold was impressive, giving up just one run on three hits in seven innings. Zweigle took the loss for the Pioneers after allowing three runs on six hits in 3.2 innings of work.

Johnson paced Cal State East Bay at the plate, going three-for-six and driving in both Pioneer runs on the day, while also scoring one.

The Pioneers and Warriors will meet for the series-closing doubleheader at noon on Saturday at Pioneer Field.