LINCOLN, Neb. ? Martin Medina and Kyle Richardson each launched a pair of home runs and the Roadrunners rallied for three runs in the ninth to claim a 10-8 come-from-behind victory against Big 12 member Nebraska Saturday at Hawks Field.
The game featured eight total home runs, four by each team, while Nebraska scored all of their runs off their four long balls.
For a second straight day, the Roadrunners (10-32) scored in the first frame, this time taking a 1-0 lead on a Richard Escalera RBI single through the right side. Brandon Boren, who was hit by a pitch, then advanced to second on a Ryan McIntyre walk, scored on the play.
Nebraska (22-27-1) responded with a leadoff single by DJ Belefonte and a two-run home run to center by Adam Bailey. The Huskers tacked on three more runs in the second on a Kale Kiser three-run homer to right, giving the home team a 5-1 advantage.
In the third, Bakersfield pulled to within one with a four-run outburst. Boren led off with a single up the middle, Richardson doubled to deep left and Jeremy Rodriguez's sacrifice fly to center gave Boren his second run of the game. Martin Medina then broke a two-game hitless streak with a two-run homer to left-center.
The Huskers pushed the lead back to two with a Nick Sullivan solo home run to right in the bottom of the inning, but Bakersfield's Richardson blasted a two-run home run to right to tie the game, 6-6.
Medina blasted a two-out solo home run to left-center in the fifth, marking his first career multi-home run game and giving Bakersfield its first lead of the game, 7-6.
Nebraska's Bailey continued the home run barrage in the seventh, knocking his second of the game, a two-run shot to right to give the Huskers back the lead, 8-7.
In the top of the ninth, Richardson tied the score 8-8 with a leadoff solo home run, his second of the game. Boren drew a walk and McIntyre tripled down the right field line to give CSUB the go-ahead run as Boren crossed home plate. Escalera added a sacrifice fly to left, scoring McIntyre, and giving the ?Runners a two-run pad.
The Huskers threatened in their final at bats as Kale Kiser led off with a single and, with one out, Jeff Tezak reached on a fielder's choice attempt at second. Bailey singled to center to load the bases, but Bakersfield reliever Mickey Jannis got Sullivan to ground into a four-three double play to end the game.
In just his second career start, Spenser Messmore struck out a pair, walked one and scattered 11 hits for eight runs in seven innings. Jannis (1-7) pitched the final two innings and picked up his first win of the season after allowing just two hits.
Richardson, Medina and Escalera all had two hits each for Bakersfield, while Richardson and Medina also each had three RBIs.
Bailey went 3-for-5 with four RBI's to lead Nebraska's offense, which out-hit the ?Runners 13-10.
The three-game series between the Roadrunners and Huskers concludes Sunday at 11:05 a.m. PDT at Hawks Field in Lincoln. The game can be found on across the country on DirectTV channel 613, DISH Network channel 152 and locally in Bakersfield on Brighthouse channel 128.
Score by Innings R H E
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CSU Bakersfield..... 103 210 003 - 10 10 1
NEBRASKA............ 231 000 200 - 8 13 0
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Win - Jannis (1-7). Loss - Rose, E. (1-3). Save - None.
E - Smith(6). DP - Roadrunners 2; Cornhuskers 1. LOB - Roadrunners 5; Cornhuskers 5. 2B - Escalera(3). 3B - McIntyre(1). HR - Richardson 2(4); Medina 2(7); Bailey, A. 2(11); Sullivan, N.(5); Kiser, K.(2). HBP - Boren; Henry; Belfonte, D.. SF - Escalera(2); Rodriguez(3). CS - Asche, C.(1).
