BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The CSUB baseball team held a 5-1 lead through five innings of play, but Pacific rallied for eight unanswered runs to claim the second of a three-game series, 8-5, Saturday at Hardt Field.
The Roadrunners (22-25) and Tigers (30-17) are now an even 1-1 with the series finale Sunday at 1 p.m.
Bakersfield looked on pace to go ahead two games to none against Pacific, scoring a pair of runs in the first and three more in the third to build the early four-run lead.
Martin Medina opened the scoring with a two-out, two-run home run over the left field fence.Jeremy Rodriguez, who had doubled to left center one batter prior, also scored on Medina's team-leading 11th long ball of the season.
J.B. Brown cut the deficit in half with a leadoff solo home run to right center in the top of the second. But Bakersfield responded with three runs in the third for the 5-1 cushion. Medina began the rally with a one-out single to left. Jason Kudlock's double to right moved Medina to third, and a wild pitch by Pacific's David Rowse allowed Medina to slide home.
Garrett Branske made it 4-1 with a sacrifice fly to right and Kyle Richardson capped the inning with a solo home run to right, his four of the season.
But the Roadrunners offense went cold over the remaining six frames, collecting just three of their 10 total hits after the third inning.
Pacific, meanwhile, finally got their offense going in the sixth, knotting the score 5-5 with a four-run inning. Bakersfield starter Brandon Van Dam struck out leadoff batter John Haberman, but then issued a walk to Matthew Carvutto and gave up a single to Ben Gorang. A fielding error by Joey Mills in center field allowed the runners to advance to second and third for Nick Longmire whose single through the left side plated both runners.
Jonathan Montoya replaced Van Dam and gave up a double to Brett Christopher, putting runners on second and third again for the Tigers. Allen Riley struck out swining for the inning's second out, but a wild pitch by Montoya allowed Hassel to score and, two batters later, Christopher scored on a passed ball to tie the game.
Pacific scored the go-ahead runs in the seventh on a two-RBI single to right center by Christopher. The Tigers added one more run in the eighth on a Mike Walker solo home run.
Montoya (4-5) took the loss for Bakersfield after striking out a pair while giving up two hits and two walks in one inning of relief. Van Dam fanned six in the opening 5.1 innings and also scattered eight hits and three walks for three earned runs.
Pacific reliever Hunter Carnevale improved to 5-3 after striking out six and not allowing a run in six innings.
The Tigers had 14 total hits, including three by Brown and two each by Christopher, Haberman and Gorang.
Bakersfield got a pair of hits each from Boren, Medina and Kudlock.
Sunday's series finale between the Roadrunners and Tigers also marks CSUB's final home game of the 2010 season. Seniors Brandon Boren, Erik Draxton, Derek Geisinger, JJ Henry, Mickey Jannis, Sam Jones, Jason Kudlock, Joey Mills and Kyle Richardson will be honored in a pregame ceremony.
Score by Innings R H E
------------------------------------------
Pacific............. 010 004 210 - 8 14 0
CSU Bakersfield..... 203 000 000 - 5 10 1
-------------------------------------------
Win - Carnevale, H (5-3). Loss - Montoya (4-5). Save - None.
E - Mills(5). DP - PACIFIC 1. LOB - PACIFIC 11; CSUB 7. 2B - Christopher(8);
Brown, J.B.(10); Rodriguez(11); Kudlock(15); Branske(4). HR - Walker, M(10);
Brown, J.B.(6); Medina(11); Richardson(4). HBP - Boren; Henry; Mills. SF -
Branske(1). SB - Henry(3).
