TUCSON, Ariz. — The CSUB baseball team likes playing on Mother's Day. One year ago, the Roadrunners honored their mothers with a series win over Big 12 member Nebraska, arguably one of their greatest achievements of the season. This year, the Roadrunners made an even bigger statement, thumping No. 20 Arizona 22-5 in the rubber match of a three-game series.
With a 7-2 win over the Wildcats (30-17) in the series opener on Friday, Bakersfield (21-24) claimed its first ever series victory over a Pac-10 opponent, doing so by setting a school record for runs scored and coming just two shy of the all-time hits record. The win also moved their all-time combined record against the Pac-10 to 4-5.
Aided by the record-setting offensive output, CSUB starter Mike McCarthy improved to 4-4 on the season. In his fourth complete-game of the season, the junior struck out five and scattered a dozen hits for five runs.
Every Bakersfield starter recorded at least one hit, led by Jason Kudlock's four hits and four RBIs. The senior outfielder had two singles, a double and a triple on the day. Jeremy Rodriguez added three hits and five RBIs while Kevin Younger and Martin Medina also added three hits each.
The offensive barrage began in the top of the first with Younger's one-out double to right center. Rodriguez walked and Kudlock blasted his team-leading sixth triple of the season to left center, sending Younger and Rodriguez across home plate. Medina knocked an RBI-single to center to give CSUB a 3-0 advantage.
In the second, consecutive singles by Eric Sanchez, Joey Mills and Brandon Boren loaded the bases for Younger who delivered an RBI-single to short. Rodriguez followed with a bases-clearing double to deep left center, chasing Arizona starter Daniel Workman to the dugout. Tyler Hale entered in relief and surrendered a single to Kudlock, but then recorded three consecutive outs to stop the Roadrunner spree.
After a scoreless third inning, CSUB began a two-out rally in the fourth, pushing two more runs across the plate. Kudlock singled through the left side and scored on a Medina triple to center. Kyle Richardson then blasted an RBI-double off the left field way, pushing the Roadrunner lead to 9-0.
The Wildcats broke through for two runs in the home half of the fourth. Jett Bandy singled and, two batters later, Cole Frenzel's single moved him to third. Robert Refsyder doubled to left-center, sending Bandy home and Bobby Brown's ground out to first allowed Frenzel to score the second run of the inning.
Bakersfield added an unearned run in top of the fifth when Joey Mills walked, advanced to third following a throwing error by Arizona pitcher Joe Allison and scored on a Boren sacrifice fly.
In the bottom of the inning, Alex Mejia singled and Joey Rickard homered to left, cutting the Wildcat deficit to 10-4. But the Roadrunners would not let their foot off the gas pedal, adding seven runs in the top of the sixth, three eighth and two in the ninth.
Workman (2-1) took the loss for the Wildcats, surrendering eight hits for seven runs in one-plus innings of work. Rickard had three hits and two RBIs to pace Arizona at the plate.
The Roadrunners return to Hardt Field for the final time this season, hosting University of the Pacific in a three game series, beginning Friday, May 14 at 3 p.m.
Score by Innings R H E
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CSU Bakersfield..... 340 217 302 - 22 19 1
Arizona............. 000 220 100 - 5 12 3
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Win - McCarthy (4-4). Loss - Workman, D. (2-1). Save - None.
E - Richardson(10); Rickard, J.(3); Mejias-Brean(15); Allison, J.(1). LOB -
CSUB 13; ARIZ 8. 2B - Younger(8); Rodriguez 2(10); Kudlock(14); Medina(12);
Richardson(10); Refsnyder(9); Brown, B.(11); Mejia, A.(10). 3B - Kudlock(6);
Medina(2). HR - Rickard, J.(6). HBP - Boren; Younger 2; Shannon; Selsky, S..
SH - Henry(5). SF - Boren(2). CS - Selsky, S.(5).
