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HAYWARD, Calif. (Feb. 3) -- The Central Washington University baseball team took a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning, but a single run in the eighth and two in the ninth by California State University East Bay enabled the host Pioneers to defeat the Wildcats, 5-4, in the 2013 baseball opener for both teams on Sunday morning.

The Wildcats and Pioneers will play the second in a four-game series on Monday afternoon at 2 p.m.

CWU fell behind in the bottom of the first inning, as leadoff batter Andrew Rodriguez homered on a full-count offering from starting pitcher Skye Adams (Jr., Vancouver/Columbia River HS). Cal State East Bay then pushed the lead to 2-0 following a two-our RBI single by Jordan Wilder in the third inning. The two-run deficit was short-lived, though, as CWU tied the score in the top of the fourth. Consecutive errors -- two of the Pioneers' six defensive miscues on the day -- started the inning, and although the first of those runners was retired, senior Kyle Sani (Kennewick/Southridge HS) delivered a run-scoring double and fellow senior Justin Peterson (Tacoma/Life Christian Academy) followed with a RBI single to tie the score.

Adams settled down after the rough start in his CWU debut. After surrendering five hits in the first three innings, he retired the Pioneers in order in the fourth and gave up just one hit over his final 2 1/3 innings of work. Junior Willie Davies (Shoreline/Shorecrest HS) came on in relief in the sixth and scattered five hits, eventually being charged with CSUEB's third run of the game that scored in the bottom of the eighth.

The Wildcats took the lead for the first time with a two-run top of the seventh inning. Sophomore Kasey Bielec (Port Orchard/North Mason HS) led off with a single and was sacrificed to second base. Senior Marc Garza (Othello) then followed with the go-ahead RBI single on the first pitch he saw of his at-bat, and the third baseman later scored on a run-scoring single by junior shortstop Justen Weigel (Naches/Naches Valley HS) to give CWU a 4-2 edge.

Davies, who had given up a pair of singles in the bottom of the seventh inning, allowed three straight one-out hits in the eighth before being relieved by senior Randy Button (Allyn/North Mason HS). Button allowed a RBI groundout to Roger Luna but held the lead in tact entering the ninth.

CWU failed to score an insurance run in the final inning despite getting a pair of base runners, and Cal State East Bay started its game-winning rally in the bottom of the frame against sophomore Davis Engel (Ellensburg). A one-out double by Charlie Sharrer started the rally, and after a single advanced him to third, Sharrer came home on a RBI single by Wilder to tie the score. Naea Kalehuawehe then plated Eren Miravalles with a single of his own to give CSUEB the victory.

The Wildcats were outhit by a 15-6 count, with five of their hits being singles. Thirteen of the Pioneers' hits were of the one-base variety. CWU also took advantage of six Cal State East Bay errors while playing error-free defensively.

Six different CWU players finished with one hit each, while six different Pioneers had two hits apiece.