PHOTOGRAPHS BY JESSICA IRRERA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | THE PIONEER
The California State University, East Bay Pioneers and the Oakland Athletics celebrated their Bay Area unity under the gleaming lights of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum this week during their annual Cal State East Bay Night.

Not only was the event a win for the Oakland A’s, who beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-5, but students and alumni who attended “College Night” were also gifted commemorative sweatshirts with the CSUEB and A’s logos. Conveniently, East Bay night also fell on a Tuesday, which meant free parking for all attendees.

“The game was great! It was nice to see faculty and staff outside of the school environment. With the A’s fighting for a spot in the playoffs, the stadium felt like it had a lot of energy,” CSUEB alumni and Stadium Events team member Marcos Sanchez said in an interview.

Prior to the game, the CSUEB choir sang the national anthem, and new ASI President Daisy Maxion threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

This is the second Cal State East Bay Night that the A’s have hosted, last year’s being the first. The 2018 event was held on a smaller scale with roughly 200 tickets sold by Associated Students Incorporated, but this year’s event offered 1,000 tickets, all of which were purchased by students and alumni, according to Lil Brown-Parker, the Business Services Manager for ASI.

Last year’s event gifted guest’s commemorative hats with the CSUEB and A’s logos embossed on the front and side.

The A’s were able to hold off the Angels in a narrow 7-5 victory, despite a late comeback by Los Angeles. Oakland was led by rookie outfielder Seth Brown, who tripled twice. In doing so, Brown became the first A’s player to triple twice in a game since Mark Ellis accomplished the feat in 2002.

Brown, playing in his first game in Oakland, was excited after the victory.

“It was fantastic. It’s hard to describe, for the first time in the Coliseum. Just an unbelievable moment and an unbelievable night, and it’s something I’ll never forget,” Brown said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.