BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — A 10-3 lead through eight innings could not be held by the CSUB baseball team as UC Davis rallied for nine runs in the top of the ninth to claim a 12-11 win over the Roadrunners Friday at Hardt Field.
The Roadrunners fell to 15-17 on the season while the Aggies improve to 16-14 overall.
Bakersfield starting pitcher Mickey Jannis held UC Davis in check for eight innings, striking out four and scattering nine hits for three runs. But Jannis took a no decision after the Roadrunner bullpen, and a pair of fielding errors, let the lead slip away.
The Aggies' Justin Schafer led off the ninth by reaching on a hit by pitch by reliever Zach Arneson. Daniel Cepin then reached on a fielder's choice to third, but Martin Medina's throw to second went wide and the runners advanced to second and third. Eric Johnson then knocked a two-RBI single up the middle and David Popkins doubled down the left field line to put runners on second and third.
Spenser Messmore entered the game to relieve Arneson and got Scott Lyman to fly out to center while Johnson scored on the sacrifice. But Kyle Mihaylo kept the rally going when he reached on a throwing error by Kyle Richardson and Paul Poloti singled through the right side for the fourth Aggie run of the inning. A Joseph Medeiros RBI-single and a Scott Heylman two-RBI double tied the game at 10-10.
Erik Draxton took over for Messmore, giving up a two-RBI single, but also recording a pair of strikeouts to end the inning.
Down 12-10 in the bottom of the ninth, A Richardson sacrifice fly brought the Roadrunners to within one, by Aggie closer Matthew Lewis collected his fourth save of the season by recording back-to-back strikeouts for the final outs of the game.
Messmore (1-4) took the loss for CSUB while Scott Heinig (1-1) was credited with the win for UC Davis, despite allowing four hits for five runs in two innings of work.
Bakersfield took an early 5-2 lead through three complete innings, then exploded for a five-run eighth on a Jeremy Rodriguez RBI-hit by pitch, a Medina two-RBI single and a Derek Geisinger two-RBI double to go ahead 10-3.
Kevin Younger finished the day with a team-high three hits for CSUB. Medina and Mills added two apiece.
The Roadrunners and Aggies continue their three-game series Saturday at 1 p.m.
Score by Innings R H E
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UC Davis............ 101 000 019 - 12 15 3
CSU Bakersfield..... 113 000 051 - 11 12 2
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Win - Heinig (1-1). Loss - Messmore (1-4). Save - Lewis (4).
E - Schafer(5); Politi(9); Heylman(7); Medina(6); Richardson(6). DP - UCD 1.
LOB - UCD 10; CSUB 9. 2B - Popkins 2(9); Lyman(12); Heylman 2(6);
Geisinger(2); Younger(5). 3B - Mills(3); Richardson(1). HBP - Schafer;
Cepin; Johnson; Mihaylo; Rodriguez; Medina. SH - Cepin(4). SF -
Richardson(4). SB - Henry(2). CS - Henry(2).
