NORTHRIDGE, Calif.-- The Roadrunners completed the Cal State Northridge Tournament with an extra inning win against Pacific and a loss against the host Matadors.

Game 1

Bakersfield opened Day 3 of the CSUN Tourney with a hard-fought, extra inning win over Pacific by a score of 3-2.

The 'Runners got out to an early lead with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Karissa Veiga (Sr., Hemet, Calif., Hemet HS) led off the game with a walk and eventually scored on a throwing error by the second baseman. The 'Runners took their 1-0 lead into the fifth inning thanks to Bakersfield's starting pitcher, Amber Mills (So., Fresno, Calif., Clovis West HS).

The Tigers did give Mills trouble occasionally, but stranded a total of eight runners on base to keep the score low. Pacific plated its first run in the top of the fifth inning when Mills lost control of her pitch location for a spell. The sophomore led off the inning by plunking Pacific's catcher, Jessica Pasco, and allowed the runner to advance to third on a wild pitch later in the inning. An RBI single from Bailey O'Mara tied the score at 1-1.

Bakersfield would leave two runners on base in the both the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings as neither team was able to take a lead before the end of the seven scheduled innings. Pacific scored in the top of the eighth as Taylor Petty's two-out, RBI single plated the runner who was placed on second thanks to the tiebreaker rule.

Bakersfield answered back in the bottom half of the eighth inning when Amy Ricciardi (Sr., Chino Hills, Calif., Ayala HS) singled home Madison Bundy (Jr., Anacortes, Wash., Oregon State) for a 2-2 tie. Mills came out to pitch the ninth and got some help from her defense to set the 'Runners up for a chance to win with a run. After a sacrifice bunt moved Melina Huey to third with one out, a fly ball to left seemed destined to give the Tigers a one-run advantage. Veiga had different plans, however, as she gunned Huey down at home from left field and sent the 'Runners to the bottom of the ninth.

A sacrifice bunt by Veiga set up the game-winning, RBI sacrific fly for Sydney Raeber (So., Hanford, Calif., Hanford HS) as the 'Runners claimed a 3-2 victory. Although Mills struggled at times, the sophomore from Fresno got the job done efficiently with nine innings pitched while giving up only five hits and one earned run. Ricciardi finished the game going three for three with an RBI as Bakersfield's offensive leader.

Game 2

The 'Runners took on the host Matadors in a rematch of Friday's 5-2 loss. This time around, the 'Runners kept it closer but fell 4-2 to Cal State Northridge.

Bakersfield took an early 1-0 lead as Veiga ledoff the game with her sixth hit of the weekend (6-13 at the time) and eventually scored off of Briana Pontecorvo's (So., Visalia, Calif., Redwood HS) RBI single.

Cal State Northridge answered back in the bottom of the second with two runs thanks to Jordan Sauceda's leadoff home run and Taylor Glover's RBI single later in the inning. The 'Runners plated the equalizing run in the top of the fourth as Makenzie Zinger's (So., Visalia, Calif., Redwood HS) RBI single scored Ricciardi.

The Matadors threatened in both the fifth and sixth innings, but stranded two runners on base in the fifth to keep the score tied. The sixth inning would bring a different result, however, as Amy Linn's single plated two runs and gave CSUN a 4-2 lead.

A leadoff walk and an infield single started the rally for Bakersfield in the top of the seventh, but three consecutive outs would end the threat and the game. CSUN improved to 22-10 as Jordan Sauceda picked up the win and Daphne Pofek got the save. Raeber was credited with the loss while both she and starter Kelsie Monroe (Jr., Los Banos, Calif., San Joaquin Delta College) pitched three innings and each gave up two earned runs.

Bakersfield (9-24) will return home for a long home stand over the next few weeks. The upcoming week will feature five games in four days as the 'Runners host a doubleheader against Cal State Fullerton on Wednesday before opening WAC play with a three-game series against Utah Valley on Friday and Saturday.

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