The Pioneer Softball team honored their seniors this past Saturday during an emotional doubleheader with Cal State Dominguez Hills.

The Toros won the Cal State Stanislaus Tournament of Champion where the Pioneers scored a record of 1-5. The team views the games this weekend as an improvement compared to the games they played at the tournament a week ago.

“I think we took a huge step up from the tournament,” said Pioneer Sara Holdridge. “I mean Dominguez Hills is good team, they always go to Nationals. So I think we held our own, at least compared to the tournament.”

The Pioneers, currently ranked 6th in the CCAA, hosted a brief ceremony in which they introduced their seniors prior to their first game, Saturday.

The games were part of a doubleheader that began on Friday. The team stood at 7-19 in the CCAA, and 12-28 for the season. They faced tough competition against the Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros, who stood 12-14 in the CCAA, 18-25 overall.

Holdridge is one of five seniors playing for the Pioneers. She, along with Nicole Adair, Taryn Thomas, Lauren Zweigle, and Emily Montanez, took their last home-game swings.

Holdridge played a major role on the team leading them in home runs (2), RBIs (21), doubles (10), slugging percentage (.500), on base percentage and a batting average of .529 at the Tournament of Champions. Holdridge (catcher/first base) is finishing her fourth year of her softball career for the Pioneers.

Among the leading hitters in CSU East Bay history, Holdridge also ranks second in career home runs (21), fifth in RBI (94), eight in doubles (27) and ninth in hits (138).

“I love playing for Coach Pierce,” Holdridge said in an interview with The Pioneer, “She’s a good coach and she stays positive. I always play for her.”

Only a second year senior, Thomas (second base/shortstop) leads the Pioneers in hits this season with a .374 batting average. Earlier this season, Thomas had an 11 game hitting streak.

“My goals for this season were and still are, to give it all I’ve got and to just go out there and leave everything out on the field,” said Thomas.

Zweigle currently leads the Pioneers in  pitching with 8 victories, 14 complete games and has a 3.32 ERA, with 105 strikeouts in 132.2 innings.

All together, Zweigle is the leader amongst CSU East Bay pitchers with 331 strikeouts in four seasons and is currently ranked second in all-time saves (6), third in innings pitched (442), and eighth in wins (23).

Montenez will also be concluding a four-year playing career with the Pioneers. At first base she had a .973 fielding percentage, and had a batting average of .357 at the Tournament of Champions.

On Friday, Zweigle led the game with three hits, no walks, and 10 strikeouts in a complete game. One run, scored by the Toros’ Adrianna Sanchez, in the top of the fourth inning led to the Pioneers lost to the Toros 1-0.

During the second game, the Pioneers stepped up their performance with nine hits. Thomas batted 2 for 4 at the plate while Adair and Meli Sanchez each scored a run.

Kelsey Cairns took the mound and pitched her fifth home game of the season while allowing seven hits, five walks, and three strikeouts.

“I feel like we came together as a team, we played really well even though we didn’t get the results that we wanted,” Thomas told The Pioneer after the second game, which concluded with the Toros winning 5-3.

The following day the Pioneers fought a close match with the Toros until the 8th inning, resulting with a win in honor of their seniors.

Zweigle now 9-14 threw 143 pitches in eight straight innings at the mound. With eight hits, three walks, and seven strikeouts, Zweigle pitched her 15th complete game.

In the fourth inning and already 2-for-3 at the plate, Chelsie Kakela slammed a home run over the fence, which led the Pioneers to the first two runs of the game.

Heading into the fifth inning, the Toros retaliated with a similar home run hit by Adrianna Sanchez, putting the Toros at a 3-2 advantage over the Pioneers.

Holdridge fought back by sending the ball flying over the fence as well in the bottom of the sixth inning, tying the game 3-3.

At the bottom of the eighth inning, Meli Sanchez hit an infield single, which allowed Shanna Purkey to score the final run of the game, placing the Pioneers ahead of the Toros 4-3. The Pioneers were ecstatic over their hard fought win against the Toros.

“I think our girls did a really nice job of stepping up and really fighting for our seniors today,” said Head Coach Barbara Pierce, “They’re such a great group and it’s easy to get motivated to give everything you have for them, so I think that made a big difference for us.”

The last game slipped away from the Pioneers in a 0-10 defeat. Zweigle was able to hold the Toros for a scoreless 1.2 innings, although this did not stop them from scoring early in the second inning.

“Our first game was really good, we came out strong and we played strong,” Adair said after the games on Saturday, “One game got away from us, but that’s how it is. You win some you lose some.”’

It is the Pioneers’ goal to finish the remainder of the season strong. Their final eight games with the CCAA will take place on the road. The next game will be a four game series at Cal State Stanislaus on April 19th.

“We’ve had our ups and downs this year; we are just looking to finish these last few weeks on a high note,” Pierce said. “If we can fight the way we fought the third game, we will win the majority of the remaining games.”