LOS ANGELES — Derek Geisinger launched a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth and reliever Zach Arneson tossed 4.2 innings of hitless, scoreless relief for his first collegiate win as the CSUB baseball team rallied from a 7-0 deficit to claim a 13-9 win at Loyola Marymount Wednesday.
Still in the hunt for a .500 season, the Roadrunners improved to 25-28. Loyola Marymount fell to 22-31 overall.
LMU broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the third, scoring four runs on four hits and one Bakersfield error. With runners on first and second, S Roe drove an RBI-single into right-center field. Ryan Hawthorne followed with a RBI-single to third and Matt Koch added an RBI-single to center to make it 3-0. After fielding Koch's single, CSUB's Joey Mills attempted to throw Hawthorne out at third, but his throw went into the LMU dugout, allowing the unearned run to score.
The Lions added three runs in the fourth on three hits and one error, then two more in the fifth to go ahead 9-0.
After being shut out in the opening four frames, Bakersfield got on the board in the fifth when Kevin Younger led off with a double to left, advanced to third on a fly out and scored on a Martin Medina to right.
A four-run sixth inning brought the Roadrunners back into the game, trailing just 9-5. Mick Gaston led off with a double down the left field line and, two batters later, Joey Mills drew a walk. Brandon Boren then struck a double down the right field line, sending both Gaston and Mills home. Boren advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch for the third run of the inning. With two outs, Rodriguez kept the rally going with a double to center and Medina singled him home before Jason Kudlock struck out for the final out of the inning.
After both teams went three up, three down in the seventh, the Roadrunners opened the eighth with four consecutive hits. Joey Mills reached on a bunt single, Boren singled to right-center, Younger slapped an RBI-single to right-center and Rodriguez hit an RBI-single through the left side, cutting the LMU lead to 9-7.
Medina fouled out to the catcher for the first out of the inning, but Kudlock followed an RBI-single to left, bringing the Roadrunners to within one, 9-8. A Kyle Richardson five-pitch walk then loaded the bases for Geisinger who blasted his first home run of the season, a grand slam, into the trees beyond the right field fence.
Arneson drew three straight outs again in the bottom of the eighth and Boren added a solo home run in the top of the ninth to push the Roadrunner lead to four.
Jonathan Montoya struggled in his 10th start of the season, walking two and allowing nine hits for five earned runs in three innings. Spenser Messmore tallied three strikeouts in 1.1 innings of relief, but also surrendered four hits for two runs. With one out in the fifth, Messmore gave way to Arneson who walked a pair, but recorded the final two outs of the inning.
In his first collegiate win, Arneson (1-1) struck out three and walked three while not giving up a hit in 4.2 innings.
Bakersfield finished with 18 hits, led by three each from Boren, Younger and Rodriguez. Medina had two hits and two RBIs, while Kudlock and Gaston also added a pair of hits each.
LMU starter Aaron Griffin struck out four and allowed just one run in five innings. Reliever Xavier Esquivel (2-3) took the loss after giving up four runs in 1.2 innings.
The Roadrunners close out the 2010 season in San Luis Obispo, taking on Cal Poly in a three-game series beginning Friday at 6 p.m. First pitch on both Saturday and Sunday is 1 p.m.
Score by Innings R H E
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CSU Bakersfield..... 000 014 071 - 13 18 2
Loyola Marymount.... 004 320 000 - 9 13 0
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Win - Arneson (1-1). Loss - ESQUIVEL, X. (2-3). Save - None.
E - Henry(9); Mills(7). DP - CSUB 1. LOB - CSUB 11; LMU 7. 2B - Boren(16);
Younger(9); Rodriguez 2(15); Gaston 2(5); HAWTHORNE, R 2(13); PLAIA, C.(6).
HR - Boren(2); Geisinger(1). HBP - Kudlock; GUTHRIE, A.. SH -
SIMONITSCH,(2). CS - SIMONITSCH,(2).
