HAYWARD, Calif. - Jessup University baseball maintained its offensive production, defeating Cal State East Bay at Pioneer Baseball Field on Friday, 19-9.
Returning to the mainland after a four-game sweep to end their Hawaii trip, Jessup returned to Northern California for a three-game series against CSU East Bay.
Cal State East Bay struck first in the opening frame with an RBI single down the third-base line to take a 1-0 lead. Jessup responded in the top of the second inning when Landyn Plaut hit a two-run home run to right-center, scoring Hunter Hirayama, 2-1. The Pioneers managed to tie the game at 2-2 in the bottom half of the second on a throwing error.
The Warriors took decisive control of the game in the third inning. Quinton Hall initiated the scoring with an RBI single to left field, bringing home Cody Antone, 3-2. Tony Otis then scored on a fielder's choice from Adam Reyes who reached safely, 4-2. Colby Pudge followed with a two-run single up the middle to score Reyes and Hall, 6-2.
Jessup continued to advance on the base paths, with Pudge scoring on a wild pitch shortly after, 7-2. Antone then delivered a two-run single up the middle, driving in Justin Tsuka and Plaut, 9-2. The scoring surge continued when Otis hit a two-run home run to left field, bringing Antone across the plate, 11-2. The ten-run frame concluded when Hall scored on a passed ball, giving Jessup a commanding advantage, 12-2.
Jessup systematically added to their total in the middle innings. In the fourth, Tsuka hit a solo home run to right field, 13-2. In the fifth inning, Reyes hit an RBI double to left-center that scored Otis, 14-2. Cal State East Bay managed a run in the bottom of the fifth when a Pioneer stole home, 14-3. In the eighth inning, Plaut drove an RBI double to right-center to score Jack Helmhol, 15-3. The Pioneers answered in the bottom half of the inning with a groundout to bring a run home, 15-4.
The Warriors added four final runs in the top of the ninth to push their total to 19. Jack Helmholz earned an RBI after being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, scoring Jaron Nevare, 16-4. Hirayama followed with an RBI single to left, bringing in Rane Miller, 17-4. Plaut then lined out to center field for a sacrifice fly to score Michael Lavigne, 18-4. Matt Gonsalvez capped Jessup's scoring with an RBI double to left-center that brought Helmholz home, 19-4. Cal State East Bay put together a rally in the bottom of the ninth, but the Warriors lead was too large for a final comeback. Jessup went on to win game one of the series 19-9.
Reflecting on the team's dominant offensive showing, Head Coach Trevor Paine said, "We did a good job of creating some chaos and had some big swings. We also did a good job of staying in the strike zone and putting good swings on pitches over the plate. It helps them a lot and it allows for some margin for error but we still need to approach every pitch like it's 0-0. For the most part we did a good job of that." Looking ahead to the rest of the weekend, Paine added, "We love to play at home and we've been excited to get back there all week and play in front of our fans."
The series will shift venues and conclude on Saturday, March 14, with a doubleheader at McBean Park in Lincoln. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 12:00 PM.
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About Jessup University Athletics Jessup University is a member of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division II and the PacWest Conference. For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Instagram & X).
