TURLOCK, Calif. — Stan State battled through a pair of close contests Saturday at Warrior Baseball Field, falling 2-1 in the opener before rallying for a 12-10 victory in the nightcap to earn a split of the CCAA doubleheader against Cal State East Bay.
The Warriors move to 10-10 overall and 1-2 in CCAA play, while Cal State East Bay sits at 10-8 overall and 2-1 in conference.
Game 1: Cal State East Bay 2, Stan State 1
The opener was a pitcher's duel, with Cal State East Bay plating single runs in the first and fourth innings to secure a narrow 2-1 win.
Chris Ortiz delivered the lone run for Stan State with an RBI single in the fourth that scored AJ Carter, who doubled earlier in the frame. The Warriors finished with six hits but stranded eight runners.
Payton Hawkinson (1-2) allowed two runs — one earned — over five innings in the loss, while Jared Sawyer tossed four scoreless innings of relief. Cal State East Bay's Jackson Ellis earned the win with 5.2 innings of one-run ball, and Ryan Juric picked up the save.
Game 2: Stan State 12, Cal State East Bay 10
The Warriors responded in dramatic fashion in the nightcap, overcoming an early 8-0 deficit with an explosive offensive performance to secure the split.
Stan State erupted for eight runs in the second inning to tie the game, highlighted by Tyler Crudo's three-RBI double and Chase Wilson's two-run single. Cal State East Bay briefly regained the lead, but the Warriors answered again in the fifth with four runs, taking advantage of errors and aggressive base-running to go ahead 12-10.
AJ Carter led the offense, going 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs, while Crudo finished with two hits and three RBIs. Wilson added two RBIs, and Jacob Haros and Mason Kelley each drove in key runs during the comeback.
On the mound, Cameron Rosen (1-0) earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief, and Pierce Sailer closed it out with two shutout innings and four strikeouts to record his first collegiate save.
Up Next
Stan State and Cal State East Bay conclude the four-game series Sunday at 12 p.m. at Warrior Baseball Field.
Stan State then hits the road for a four-game CCAA series at Cal State Los Angeles beginning Friday, March 13 at 6 p.m. at Reeder Field. The series continues Saturday, March 14 with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., followed by the finale Sunday, March 15 at noon.
The Warriors return home March 20-22 to host Cal Poly Pomona in a four-game CCAA set at Warrior Baseball Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday, March 20, followed by a Saturday doubleheader at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., and the series finale Sunday, March 22 at noon. All games will be available on FloCollege with Blue Chip Broadcasting providing the live stream for home contests.
