SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Earning his first collegiate start on his 19th birthday, CSUB baseball freshman Juan Padilla allowed just two hits while striking out a career-high six in 7.1 innings as the Roadrunner claimed a 12-8 win over Cal Poly Saturday at Baggett Stadium.
The Brentwood, Calif., native gifted himself with his first win of the year, leading the Roadrunners to their 26th win of the season, exactly double last year's inaugural season win total. Cal Poly, which won Friday's series-opener, 12-3, fell to 22-32 on the season.
Bakersfield wasted little time redeeming itself after a poor offensive outing the night before, posting four runs in the opening frame off Cal Poly starter DJ Mauldin. Brandon Boren collected a leadoff single, Jeremy Rodriguez singled with one out and Martin Medina was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Jason Kudlock and Kyle Richardson drew back-to-back RBI-walks and Derek Geisinger followed with a two-RBI single to center.
Kudlock added a one-out, solo home run in the third to make it 5-0 before the Roadrunners exploded for six runs in the fourth. Kudlock drew his second bases loaded RBI-walk, Geisinger knocked his second two-RBI single, JJ Henry hit an RBI-single into shallow center and Boren capped the scoring with a single down the left field line to send two more runners across home plate.
Padilla allowed just two baserunners in the first four innings, surrendering a one-out triple off the center field wall to Mitch Haniger in the second and a leadoff walk to Adam Melker in the fourth. The Bakersfield freshman kept Haniger at third by recording a pair of ground outs to close out the inning. But in the fourth, the Mustangs broke through as Crocker followed Melker's walk with an RBI double to deep left center, breaking up Padilla's shutout.
Padilla went on to retire nine consecutive batters in the fifth through seventh innings. He finally tired in the eighth, walking Evan Busby and Denver Chavez to open the inning. He got Luke Yoder to strikeout for the third time of the day, but walked Melker to load the bases, forcing Head Coach Bill Kernen to go to the bullpen.
Spenser Messmore could not stop the Mustang rally, however, giving up a pair of two-RBI doubles, an RBI-ground out and a walk, allowing the Mustangs to push five runs across the plate. Zach Arneson replaced Messmore with the Roadrunner lead at 12-6 and gave up an RBI-double to right before getting Busby to fly out to left for the final out of the inning. Arneson surrendered a one-out solo home run to Yoder in the ninth, but was able to record the final two outs without allowing a runner past first base to secure the win.
Mauldin (5-4) lasted just 3.2 innings for Cal Poly, giving up nine hits and four walks for 11 earned runs. Tommy Erlin was effective in 5.1 innings of relief, recording four strikeouts and allowing just one earned run.
Boren and Kudlock had three hits and three RBIs each for CSUB while Geisinger added a pair of hits and four RBIs. Younger, Rodriguez and Henry also had two hits each for the Roadrunners who finished with 16 hits.
The season-ending series between the Roadrunners and Mustangs concludes Sunday at 1 p.m. at Baggett Stadium.
Score by Innings R H E
-------------------------------------------
CSU Bakersfield..... 401 601 000 - 12 16 1
Cal Poly............ 000 100 061 - 8 6 2
-------------------------------------------
Win - Padilla (1-1). Loss - Mauldin (5-4). Save - None.
E - Medina(10); Melker(4); Busby(11). DP - Cal Poly 1. LOB - CSUB 10; Cal
Poly 5. 2B - Boren(17); Younger(10); Crocker 2(14); Stewart(4);
ThompsonJ(11). 3B - Haniger(1). HR - Kudlock(8); Yoder(14). HBP - Medina. SF
- Boren(3).
