BAKERSFIELD, Calif. ? Freshman reliever Spenser Messmore allowed just one-hit and had seven strikeout in 4 1/3 innings and the CSUB offense erupted for 22 hits in a 17-12 win over the defending national champion Fresno State Bulldogs Tuesday at Hardt Field.
The win moves Bakersfield's baseball team to 6-21 on the season and pushes the five-game series to a 2-2 tie with the final game to be played Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Hardt Field. Fresno State drops to 16-13 overall and 1-8 away from its home field.
Seven different Roadrunners tallied multiple hits in the game, led by Brandon Boren's 5-for-6 performance. Kyle Richardson was 4-for-5 with three runs and Jason Kudlock went 3-for-5 with three runs and five RBIs.
Kudlock began the scoring with a two-run homer to left in the bottom of the second. With two outs in the top of the third, Fresno State responded with an unearned run, but Bakersfield answered right back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third, including an RBI double by Kudlock.
Down 4-1, the Bulldogs erupted for a seven-run fourth inning on six hits and one Roadrunner error. Gavin Hedstrom had an RBI single, Danny Muno pushed a pair across with a single through the left side, Tom Mendonca singled through the right side as a run scored and Alan Ahmady capped things off with a three-run homer over the center field fence.
Not to be outdone, Bakersfield used three hits and two Fresno State errors to tie the game in the bottom of the inning. The Bulldogs stayed hot in the fifth, with four runs on four hits and a walk to go ahead 12-8. Messmore then entered the game for CSUB starter Sam Jones, recording the third out of the inning with a line out to short.
Messmore then put the clamp down on the Bulldog offense, not allowing a hit until the ninth and fanning seven in the final 4 1/3 innings. In doing so, the freshman right-hander picked up his first collegiate victory, moving to 1-1 on the season.
Meanwhile, the Roadrunner offense continued to pound the Bulldog pitching staff. After scoring three runs in the sixth on an RBI walk by Eric Sanchez and a two-RBI double by Martin Medina, the ?Runners put the game away with a six-hit, six-run seventh inning.
Boren and Ryan McIntyre led things off with back-to-back singles and Jeremy Rodriguez loaded the bases after being hit by pitch. That brought Kudlock to the plate for a two-RBI single to left. Joey Mills walked to reload the bases, Richardson pushed one across with an RBI fielder's choice and three more RBI singles ensued before McIntyre fouled out to third to end the inning.
Fresno State starter Josh Poytress took a no decision after giving up 11 hits for eight runs (four earned) in four innings. Reliever Zac Bischoff (1-4) was credited with the loss after allowing seven runs on eight hits in 2 1/3 innings.
The Bulldogs' offense had 14 total hits, including three each by Hedstrom and Muno.
Score by Innings R H E
--------------------------------------------
Fresno State........ 001 740 000 - 12 14 2
CSU Bakersfield..... 022 403 60X - 17 22 2
--------------------------------------------
Win - Messmore (1-1). Loss - Bischoff (1-4). Save - None.
E - Muno 2(15); Medina(10); Boren(8). DP - FS 1. LOB - FS 11; CSUB 10. 2B - Hedstrom 2(7); Muno(10); Medina(8); Boren(6); Rodriguez(5); Kudlock(2); Richardson 2(7). HR - Ahmady(1); Kudlock(1). HBP - Mendonca; Detwiler 2; Rodriguez; Kudlock. SF - Mendonca(1); Rodriguez(2). SB - Wise(4).
