SAN JOSE, Calif.—San Jose State (17-38, 11-16 WAC) scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth to defeat Bakersfield (35-21, 18-9 WAC) 8-5 to earn the eighth and final spot in next week's Western Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament. With the victory, the Spartans will face the Roadrunners, the No. 1 seed in the tournament in Wednesday's opener. 

With one out in the eighth, Sheldon Daquioag worked out a walk off of the third CSUB pitcher of the day, James Barragan (So., Bakersfield, Calif., Stockdale HS). Kalei Contrades singled up the middle to push Daquioag up a base. Ricky Acosta singled up the middle to load the bases. Pinch-hitter Matt Lopez walked to tie the score. Allen Gwynn (R-Jr., Santa Paula, Calif., VenturaCollege) relieved Barragan with the count 1-0 to Michael Gerlach and walked Gerlach for what proved to be the gamewinning run.

Andre Mecurio singled to make it 6-4 before Matt Carroll's single drove in two more for a four-run advantage. Hayden Carter (So., San Diego, Calif., Vista, Calif.), relieved Gwynn and got Nick Schultz to ground into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning. Bakersfield scored one in the ninth for the final 8-5.

CSUB led 1-0 before San JoseState scored three times over the second and third for a two-run lead. The Roadrunners took a 4-3 lead with three across in the top of the fourth.

For the fifth time this season, Mylz Jones (Palmdale, Calif., Paraclete HS) recorded at least three hits in a game as the freshman third baseman went 3-for-4. Frank Martinez (Sr., Riverside, Calif., East LA College) went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Oscar Sanay (Jr., Chula Vista, Calif., Bonita Vista HS) drove in two runs. Jonathan Montoya (R-Sr., Chino Hills, Calif., Chino Hills HS) started the game for CSUB, he was relieved in the bottom of the third by Chuck Buchanan (R-Sr., Las Vegas, Nev., Allan Hancock College) who struck out seven in 4.1 innings of work.

Bakersfield shares the regular season conference championship with UT Arlington, but earned the No. 1 seed in the league tournament when the 'Runners defeated the Mavericks 2-1 in the season series in Arlington Apr. 5-7.

First pitch at QuickTripPark in Grand Prairie, Texas on Wednesday night between the Roadrunners and San JoseState is set for a 3 p.m. (CDT) start. CSUB completes the “Pod” format Thursday against SacramentoState (7 p.m. CDT) and Friday against UTSA (7 p.m. CDT). The winner of CSUB's “Pod” and the winner of “Pod” two will face for the tournament title on Sunday at 1 p.m. (CDT).

~www.GoRunners.com~