LINCOLN, Neb. ? Playing in the state where amateur baseball's best will compete at the NCAA Division I College World Series in just over a month, the CSUB baseball team looked their best early, putting up five unanswered runs against Big 12 member Nebraska, but the Huskers rallied with a six-run inning to claim an eventual 9-6 win Friday at Hawks Field in Haymarket Park.
The Roadrunners (9-32) opened the game with a trio of runs. Leadoff Kyle Richardson started things off with a single up the middle, then beat out the fielder's choice attempt to short by Brandon Boren. Jeremy Rodriguez grounded out to short, moving the runners up a base and Richard Escalera's ground out to second allowed Richardson to cross home plate. Ryan McIntyre then followed with a two-run homer that carried well beyond the center field fence for the 3-0 advantage.
Bakersfield added to the lead in the second courtesy of RBI singles up the middle by Richardson and Boren. Stuart Smith scored the first run after leading off with a double down the left field line and advancing to third on a passed ball. JJ Henry scored on Boren's single after reaching on a walk.
Nebraska (22-26-1) responded in a big way in the bottom of the second, scoring six runs on four hits and a pair of Bakersfield errors to go ahead 6-5. Jeff Tezak led off with a walk and Ben Kline followed with a high-hopping single to short to put runners on first and second for Jake Mort, who knocked a two-RBI double into deep left field. Cory Burleson walked and DJ Belefonte was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Boomer Collins RBI fielder's choice to short sent Mort across home plate and an error on a throwdown to second while Collins stole second allowed Burleson to score from third. Adam Bailey followed with an RBI single and the final Husker run of the inning scored on a throwing error by Boren on an attempted double play.
The Huskers added a single run in the third courtesy of a solo home run by Burleson and another run in the sixth on a Tyler Farst RBI-double to the right-center field fence. Collins scored on the play after leading off the inning with a single. Their final run came in the bottom of the seventh when Collins reached on a fielding error by Boren as Burleson scored for the third time.
McIntyre collected his third hit of the game in the top of the eighth, a double to right, advanced to third on a Martin Medina ground out and scored on a single up the middle by Henry, cutting the spread to 9-6. But the top of the Bakersfield order went three-up, three-down in the final frame, ending any chance of a late rally.
Sam Jones was solid in 4 2/3 innings of relief for Bakersfield, striking out four, walking one and scattering four hits for two runs (one earned). Medina (2-3) took the loss in his third start of the season, surrendering five walks and six hits for seven runs in 3 1/3 innings.
Mike Nesseth (4-4) claimed the win for Nebraska, issuing seven strikeouts to go along with eight hits and six runs allowed in 7 1/3.
Richardson and Henry each had a pair of hits for the Roadrunners, also each scoring one run and knocking in a run.
Game-two of the three-game series between the Roadrunners and Huskers gets underway Saturday at 12:05 p.m. PDT at Hawks Field in Lincoln.
Score by Innings R H E
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CSU Bakersfield..... 320 000 010 - 6 9 3
Nebraska............ 061 001 10X - 9 10 0
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Win - Nesseth, M. (4-4). Loss - Medina (2-3). Save - None.
E - Boren 2(10); Rodriguez(4). DP - Cornhuskers 1. LOB - Roadrunners 6; Cornhuskers 9. 2B - McIntyre 2(12); Smith(7); Farst, T.(15); Mort, J.(8). HR - McIntyre(4); Burleson, C.(1). HBP - Belfonte, D.; Tezak, J.. SB - McIntyre(16); Collins, B. 2(6). CS - Bailey, A.(1).
