RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A three-run sixth inning by UC Riverside broke a 1-1 tie and allowed the Highlanders to claim a 5-1 win over CSUB Friday in the first of a three-game series at the Riverside Sports Complex.
Bakersfield (17-18) collected three hits in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead. Jeremy Rodriguez singled to shallow right, Jason Kudlock singled down the left field line and Kevin Younger smacked a two-out double into left-center, sending Rodriguez across home plate.
UC Riverside (18-13) evened the score, 1-1, in the bottom of the fourth when Tony Nix scored on a single to right by Mike Nesbit. The Highlanders then broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth, using four doubles and one Roadrunner fielding error to push three runs home and lead, 4-1. Justin Shults, Nesbitt and Bryan Horst all had RBI-doubles in the inning.
Roadrunner starter Mickey Jannis fanned four while giving up 10 hits for four runs in six innings. The senior took the loss, dropping to 4-2 on the season. Erik Draxton retired the side in the seventh, using a pair of strikeouts and one fly out to hold the Highlanders off the base path. Zach Arneson pitched one inning of relief, giving up two hits and a walk for one Highlander run.
The Highlanders got a complete game performance from Matt Andriese (4-2), who also recorded a career-high nine strikeouts.
Kudlock had a pair of hits to stretch his current streak to 14 games. Rodriguez moved his hit streak to 13 games with a 1-for-4 performance. Younger, JJ Henry and Brandon Boren had two hits each while Derek Geisinger added one.
UCR got two hits each from five players and had 12 total hits on the night. Each team stranded seven runners on base.
The teams continue their weekend series Saturday at 6 p.m. and conclude play Sunday at 2 p.m.
Score by Innings R H E
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CSU Bakersfield..... 100 000 000 - 1 10 2
UC Riverside........ 000 103 01X - 5 12 0
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Win - Andriese, M. (4-2). Loss - Jannis (4-2). Save - None.
E - Kudlock(2); Younger(1). DP - UCR 2. LOB - CSUB 7; UCR 7. 2B -
Younger(6); Brantly, R.(11); Shults, J.(10); Nesbitt, M.(2); Horst, B.(6).
SH - Nesbitt, M.(4). SF - Young, E.(3). CS - Brantly, R.(1).
