HAYWARD – The Cal State Dominguez Hills baseball team collected eight hits and three walks but stranded eight runners as the Toros fell to host Cal State East Bay to open the critical CCAA series Friday.
 
The Toros (22-17, 17-12 CCAA) has been on a freefall as of late, having lost 5-of-6 as of late. The result still keeps them in a tight race for third in the CCAA standings with Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Bernardino. Both played later under the lights and saw the Broncos beat Cal State San Marcos to take sole possession of third place while the Yotes fell to the red-hot first-place Cal State Monterey Bay to stay in a tie for fourth with the Toros.
 
Emilio Barrera had a 3-hit day. He came up a triple short from the cycle after hitting a double in the fifth, a home run in the seventh and a single in the ninth.
 
Dominguez Hills quickly fell behind 2-0 in the second inning and could not leap over East Bay. The Toros did get a run back in the fifth when Barrera hit the leadoff double and scored on Eric Smelko's single to left. But the Pioneers responded with two runs of their own to take a 4-1 lead after five.
 
Dylan Steen go through six innings needing to only throw 102 pitches, giving up four earned runs on eight hits but didn't issue a walk. He also struck out four. Julio Lopez went the rest of the way allowing a run on two hits and a walk.
 
The two sides will play the 9/7-inning doubleheader Saturday starting at noon.