NORTHRIDGE, Calif.—CSU Bakersfield rallied from a four-run deficit to defeat CSUN 10-7 Tuesday afternoon at Matadors Field.

The Matadors (19-6) scored twice in the bottom of the first for an early lead, but Ryan Grotjohn (So., Cave Creek, Ariz., Brophy College Prep) tied the score with a two-run home run in the top of the second.

Chester Pak returned the lead to CSUN when he led off the bottom of the third with a home run to straight away centerfield. Nolan Bumstead tacked on his second RBI of the day when his single plated Justin Toerner with one out in the third.

Pak's smacked his second home run of the day, a two-run blast, with one out in the fourth to increase the Matadors lead to four. CSUB got one back in the fifth on a Matadors' error.  The Roadrunners tied the score in the top of the sixth after getting RBI's from Nick Vehelwald (Jr., Bakersfield, Calif., Garces HS), Logan Trowbridge (Sr., Santa Cruz, Calif., College of San Mateo), and Jordie Hein (Sr., Scottsdale, Ariz., Chapparal HS). David Metzgar (So., Lancaster, Calif., Paraclete HS) put CSUB up by one when his single drove in Trowbridge.

Toerner tied the game with a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the sixth. CSUN loaded the bases against CSUB reliever Garrett Nimmo (So., Temecula, Calif., Temecula HS). Nick Murphy ground out to third concluded the CSUN inning.

Trowbridge got the lead back for CSUB in the seventh when his sacrifice fly allowed Grotjohn to score. Hein followed with a double to score Vehlewald and give CSUB some breathing room at 9-7. A Matadors' error allowed Hein to score to put the Roadrunners into double digits.

Max Carter (So., Bakersfield, Calif., Stockdale HS) came on in the eighth to try and record the six-out save. A CSUB error began the CSUN eighth, but Carter got Pak to ground into a double play. Toerner doubled for his fourth hit of the game to keep the CSUN inning alive. Carter struck out Ryan Raslowsky for the third out.

Carter got the first two outs of the ninth when Yusuke Akitoshi singled. Carter struck out Spencer O'Neil to complete the save. Nimmo would get the win. Grotjohn added two more hits to go along with his home run. He would end the day 3-for-4 with a walk. Hein and Mylz Jones (Jr., Palmdale, Calif., Paraclete HS) both would post two hits. Toerner was 4-for-5 while Pak went 3-for-5. Pak recorded three RBI's and three runs.

“This was a game where we played everyone and used several pitchers so that we could get work for as many players as possible,” said CSUB head coach Bill Kernen. “We hit the ball well and the best part of the game was that we stayed with ourselves when we got behind and come back and took control of the game and the Max finished it,”

CSUB (12-12-1) returns home Friday for the first time in 17 days on Friday when the Roadrunners begin a three-game Western Athletic Conference series against Utah Valley. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. The game can be heard on KERN 1180 AM (and on the Tune In app) and be seen on Bakersfield.com.  Tickets are available at Vallitix.com.

~www.GoRunners.com~