BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The CSUB baseball team collected 11 hits Saturday in the final game against Northern Illinois, but continued to struggle with runners in scoring position, leaving 10 stranded, in a 5-3 loss at Hardt Field.
Bakersfield falls to an even 5-5 on the season while the Huskies improve to 3-6 overall.
Roadrunner starter Mike McCarthy (1-2) used just four pitches to get two quick outs to open the game. But he hit the third batter on his first delivery, which opened up the door for the Huskies. With Jordin Hood on first, Dave Reynolds singled to center and Troy White followed with a single through the left side, sending Hood home. Joe Eetcheverry pushed a single through the right side to score Reynolds before McCarthy caught Jake Hermsen on a strikeout.
McCarthy settled in after than, holding the Huskies mostly in check except a solo home run by Hood in the third and one by Brett Fratini in the fourth. But the Roadrunner offense struggled to give him any run support, leaving two on base in the first and fourth innings.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Roadrunners loaded the bases on a pair of singles and an error. Ryan McIntyre reached on an RBI-fielder's choice to cut the deficit to 4-1, but NIU got Martin Medina to foul out to first and McIntyre was caught stealing to end the inning.
Northern Illinois added a fifth run in the seventh, courtesy of a sacrifice fly by Reynolds, pushing its lead back to four runs. Joey Mills led off the eighth with a triple to left center and Brandon Boren sent him home on a ground out to second, but once again, the Roadrunners could not add to the rally. In the final half inning, they loaded the bases for the second time on the day, but again scored just one run.
Boren finished the day with three hits, while McIntyre, Jason Kudlock and Mills added two each.
The Roadrunners hit the road Tuesday and Wednesday for a pair of games at the University of San Francisco. They return to Hardt Field next weekend for a three-game series against University of Nevada.
Score by Innings R H E
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Northern Illinois... 201 100 100 - 5 8 1
CSU Bakersfield..... 000 010 101 - 3 11 1
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Win - OATES (1-1). Loss - McCarthy (1-2). Save - DEAIN (1).
E - JONES(4); Richarson(1). DP - NIU 1; CSUB 1. LOB - NIU 8; CSUB 10. 2B -
Boren(6). 3B - Mills(1). HR - HOOD(3); FRANTINI(1). HBP - HOOD; WHITE. SH -
JONES(1). SF - REYNOLDS(2). SB - JONES(2). CS - WELLS(1); McIntyre(1).
