BAKERSFIELD,
Calif.--The CSU Bakersfield baseball team wraps up the season opening
11-game homestand against LIU Brooklyn this weekend.
This is the first
time that CSUB and LIU Brooklyn are playing in baseball. LIU Brooklyn
opened the 2013 season last weekend at High Point, losing all three
games that were played. The Blackbirds were outscored by High Point 39-9
in the series. John Ziznewski was 4-for-11 with three runs scored
during the opening series for LIU.
Chance Gusbeth
(Fr., Lancaster, Calif., Desert Christian HS) nearly batted for the
cycle as CSU Bakersfield rallied from a 3-0 deficit to defeat Fresno
State 5-3 Tuesday night at Hardt Field. Gusbeth singled, doubled, and
tripled as he drove in two runs.
Aaron Judge and
Trent Garrison posted RBI singles in the top of the first for the
Bulldogs to get Fresno State out to an early lead. A CSUB error in the
top of the fifth led to a Fresno State 3-0 advantage.
Fresno State
starting pitcher Jordan Brink who entered the game with a 27.00 ERA,
struck out seven over the first four innings before being pulled from
the game with one out in the fifth after Gusbeth singled up the middle
to score Garrett Pierce (So., Bakersfield, Calif., Centennial HS).
Bulldogs' reliever Connor Chase loaded the bases with one out to bring up Dylan Christensen (Sr., Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., Saddleback College) who made it 3-2 with a sacrifice fly. Tyler Shryock
(Jr., Tehachapi, Calif., Desert Christian HS) tied the score with an
RBI single to left center. Gusbeth's double in the bottom of the sixth
plated Pierce to give CSUB its first lead of the night, 4-3. Cayton
singled in the eighth to score Gusbeth (who posted his triple) with two
outs.
CSUB starting pitcher Taylor Aikenhead
(Jr., Lancaster, Calif., Bakersfield College) retired 10 in a row at
one point and gave up four hits over the first six before giving way to Hayden Carter
(So., San Diego, Calif., Vista HS). Carter struck out four of the seven
batters he faced over the seventh and eighth innings. Christensen came
on in the ninth to close it out and record the save.
