HAYWARD - Cal St. East Bay defeated ninth-ranked Cal State Monterey Bay, 7-2, on Sunday at the Pioneer Baseball Field. After the weekend, the Otters move to 22-8 overall and 7-5 in CCAA play.
 
The Pioneers established early control in the finale. In the first inning, Alijah Ramos doubled to left field, scoring both Dominick Najar and Cristian Angulo to give East Bay a 2-0 lead.
 
The Pioneers extended their advantage in the second inning when Najar singled up the middle, driving in both Eli Hernandez and Micah Cervantes to make it 4-0.
 
CSUMB got on the board in the third inning when Jason Del Villar singled to center field, scoring James Starkus to cut the deficit to 4-1. However, the Pioneers answered immediately in the same inning as Caleb Chance singled through the left side to score Logan Stelling, pushing the lead back to 5-1.
 
East Bay added two more runs in the fifth inning to cap its scoring on the afternoon. Angulo singled to right-center, scoring Hernandez, and Gio Martini followed with a single to center field that scored Cervantes, extending the Pioneers' advantage to 7-1.
 
The Otters managed one final run in the sixth inning when Noah Zertuche singled to first base, scoring Casey Hinojosa to make the final margin 7-2.
 
The Otters banged out seven hits as Del Villar and Zertuche each recorded one hit and one RBI, while Starkus added one hit and one run scored. Sielken contributed one hit with a double.
 
On the mound, Sonny Pena (2-1) took the loss for Monterey Bay, allowing six hits and five runs over 2 2/3 innings. Jacob Parks pitched 2 1/3 innings in relief, allowing three hits and two runs, while Preston Kelly and Brandon Ashley combined for three scoreless innings.
 
The Otters return to Seaside to host Cal Poly Pomona for a four-game series. The opener is scheduled for Thursday, April 2, with first pitch slated for 3 p.m.