Pioneer softball team puts Penguins on ice

The Cal State East Bay women’s softball team dominated Dominican University on Sunday at Pioneer Softball Field and won both games 9-1, 6-5.

CSUEB is now 2-0 overall and left the Penguins 0-2 early in the season. The Pioneers dominated the first game despite a rough start. Senior pitcher Emily Perlich gave up a double to Dominican first baseman Katelyn Harden who knocked in shortstop Kayla Rodriguez in the top of the first inning that gave the Penguins a quick 1-0 lead early in the game.

However, CSUEB bounced back in the bottom half of the first inning and scored four runs on three hits to take back the lead 4-1. Sophomore infielder Marisa Lerma connected on a pitch in the first inning and drove it over the left field wall driving in senior Jaynie MacDonald.

Perlich then dominated the Dominican hitters over the next few innings and only allowed one hit and one run en route to her first victory of the year. Junior pitcher Tatiana Beilstein picked up the save for the Pioneers and allowed just one hit in one inning on the mound.

“She was tough on the mound today,” Dominican Head Coach Sarah Byrne said. “We have to score to win and I felt like we did a lot better at that in the second game.”

The Pioneers offense was quiet until the fourth inning when they exploded for four more runs that became two home runs. Sophomore catcher Ali Cerminara drove a pitch over the center field wall in the bottom of the fourth inning that scored three runs and made the score 7-1. Cerminara finished the game with two hits and three runs batted in for CSUEB.

Junior infielder Allie Kornahrens finished the scoring for the Pioneers after she nailed a pinch-hit home run to end the game and made the final 9-1. MacDonald and junior outfielder Lauren Vestal both collected two hits in the victory.

In the second game of the doubleheader, the Penguins managed to play the Pioneers a lot closer. With CSUEB in the lead 4-2 in the top of the fifth inning Dominican fought back and scored two runs on hits by Harden and Catlyn Cavender to tie the game at four going into the bottom half of the fifth inning.

“These players provide a lot of depth and versatility in the field, as well as power at the plate,” Byrne said. “They have the work ethic and attitude to continue pushing this program in the right direction.”

The Pioneers regained a two-run advantage in the inning when Vestal hit a single and scored junior Rose Marston. Then MacDonald hit a sacrifice fly to right field that scored senior Nikki Foster for a 6-4 CSUEB advantage.

Cavender made the Pioneers sweat after she nailed a home run to the right field in the top of the seventh inning and made the score 6-5. Pioneers sophomore pitcher regained her composure and closed out the inning and the game for her first victory of the season.

Next for the Pioneers is a home game at noon today against the Academy of Art University at Pioneer Softball Field in Hayward.