SALEM, ORE. -- California State University-East Bay received a home run from Lamonte Toney in each game, plus one homer apiece from Jacob Haberman and Mark Marelich, as the Pioneers swept a doubleheader from Willamette University, 10-7 and 11-6, on Saturday, March 8 at John Lewis Field. CSU-East Bay upped its overall record to 11-4. Willamette fell to 6-6 on the season.
Kyle Stalker (Sr., 1B, Bellevue, WA/Sammamish HS) hit a three-run homer for Willamette in the first game. His blast to center field was part of a four-run third inning that gave WU a 4-3 lead. Stalker went 3 for 5 and scored twice during the game.
East Bay took a 3-0 lead in the third inning of the opener. Steven Shinkwin drove in the first run with a sacrice fly to right field. Mark Marelich brought in the next run with the single up the middle and Lamonte Toney provided the third RBI with a single to right field.
In the bottom of the third, David Tufo (Jr., DH/3B, San Bruno, CA/Burlingame HS) singled with runners at first and second to bring in Ellis Webster (Jr., 2B, Carlsbad, CA/San Dieguito HS) with WU's first run. Stalker's homer tied the game later in the inning.
Willamette's third inning might have produced even more runs if the Pioneers hadn't turned a double play on a popped up bunt. WU began the inning with Dan Maslanik (Jr., C, Boulder, CO/Fairview HS) and Webster receiving walks. Doug Bloom (Fr., SS, Salem, OR/South Salem HS) attempted to sacrifice the runners to second and third, but his bunt was fielded in the air by pitcher Kevin Simmons, who threw to Marelich at shortstop to double off Maslanik.
East Bay tied the game with a run in the fourth inning and moved back in front with three runs in the fifth. The Bearcats produced a run in the bottom of the fifth, when Webster walked, stole second, moved to third on a ground out by Bloom and scored on a ground out by Michael Rierson (So., CF, Salem, OR/Sprague HS). WU trailed 7-5 heading into the sixth inning.
Neither team scored again until the top of the eighth. Jacob Haberman hit a solo homer to lead off the inning, extending the East Bay lead to three runs. WU plated a single run in the bottom of the eighth, as Stalker walked and eventually scored on a fielder's choice.
A two-run homer by Toney in the ninth inning gave CSU-EB a 10-6 advantage. With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Tufo walked and Stalker singled. Later, with WU down to its final out, Colin Young (Sr., RF, Portland, OR/Lincoln HS) drove in Tufo with a double. Young's hit brought the tying run to the plate, but East Bay reliever Cody Hazen got Jack McGee (Jr., 3B/P, Hillsborough, CA/St. Ignatius HS) to ground out to third base to end the game.
Middle reliever Michael Reed (4-0) recorded the win for East Bay in the opener. Hazen registered his third save of the season. Moran, who threw 136 pitches and completed eight innings, suffered the loss to fall to 1-1. Moran gave up eight runs, while striking out three batters and allowing two walks.
Michael Thomasson was 3 for 4 at the plate for East Bay in the first game. Toney, Marco Cartagena and Marc Tuttle each went 2 for 4 for the Pioneers,while Shinkwin was 2 for 3. Stalker was the only WU player with more than one hit in Game #1.
In the second game, Bloom was 3 of 4 with a run scored for Willamette. Young was 1 for 2 and scored twice in the late game, while Webster drove in two runs with a double.
The Bearcats trailed 3-1 after two innings and 5-3 after three stanzas in Game #2. Joey Luomo hit a two-RBI single for East Bay in the second inning. In Willamette's half of the third inning, Stalker drove home Jordan Roberts (Sr., CF, Portland, OR/Grant HS) with a single and Tufo scored on a passed ball later in the stanza.
Toney hit a sacrifice fly for the Pioneers in the fourth inning, and Marelich tacked on a two-run homer in the fifth, as East Bay increased its lead to 8-3. Toney added another run with a solo homer in the sixth.
WU pulled as close as 9-5 in the sixth inning on a two-RBI double by Webster, but trailed 11-5 entering the bottom of the ninth. With two outs, the Bearcats registered consecutive singles by Bloom, Roberts and Tufo to send Bloom across the plate. Stalker followed with a line drive toward the third base side of second, but Marelich caught the ball with his glove against the side of his body just above the waist.
Marelich was 3 for 4 with two runs and three RBIs in the second game. Jesus Muela and Patrick Desmond each went 2 for 4.
East Bay starter Todd Whiteaker (2-0) earned the win in Game #2. Steven Roll, who pitched the final three innings for the Pioneers, registered a save. WU starter Ty Sundlee fell to 1-3 with the loss.
The series will conclude on Sunday, March 9 with a single nine-inning game. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. (PDT).
GAME #1 - BOX SCORE
Cal State-East Bay 10, Willamette University 7
GAME #2 - BOX SCORE
Cal State-East Bay 11, Willamette University 6
Kyle Stalker went 3 for 5 with a three-run homer in the first game against CSU-East Bay.
