MESA, Ariz.—Joey Sanchez (So., Pico Rivera, Calif., El Rancho HS) walked with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th to give CSU Bakersfield a 6-5 victory over Seattle U in the first Western Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament Championship game.

“We didn't play well,” said CSUB head coach Bill Kernen. “We were able to overcome it with determination, heart, and guts and the will to win. It wasn't very pretty, we weren't going to leave the field with less runs.”

Colin Peterson doubled with one out in the top of the fifth for the Redhawks. Colin Peterson advanced to third on a wild pitch. With the Roadrunner infield in, Michael McCann singled up the middle to drive in Peterson.  

Chance Gusbeth (Jr., Lancaster, Calif., Desert Christian HS) doubled down the left field line to get the CSUB seventh underway. Soloman Williams (Sr., Long Beach, Calif., Golden West College) hit a grounder to second that was mishandled by SU starting pitcher Will Dennis who was covering the first base bag. The error allowed Williams to reach first as Gusbeth advanced to third. Ross Hough (Sr., Bakersfield, Calif., Central Arizona College) laid down a successful sacrifice bunt that allowed Williams to move up 90 feet. Cody White (So., Hemet, Calif., Hemet HS) pinch-ran for Williams. With the infield in and the count 3-2, Sanchez singled to right to plate both Gusbeth and White.

Landon Cray homered to right to lead off the top of the eighth. Dalton Hurd doubled down the leftfield line. It was at this point CSUB called upon Max Carter (So., Bakersfield, Calif., Stockdale HS) to relieve starter Garrett Nimmo (So., Temecula, Calif., Temecula Valley HS). Brian Olson singled up the middle to score Hurd and return the lead to the Redhawks 3-2.

David Metzgar (So., Lancaster, Calif., Paraclete HS) singled through the left side to open the bottom of the eighth. Carter helped himself by hitting a single to the deep part of left. Metzgar advanced to third as Carter took second on the throw into the infield. Garrett Pierce (Sr., Bakersfield, Calif., Centennial HS), who entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh, came to the plate. Garrett Anderson, a lefty, relieved Gunning to face the right handed hitting Pierce. Pierce's bloop single to right allowed Metzgar to score.

Peterson walked to lead off the ninth. McCann's attempt at a sac bunt resulted in a single and runners at first and second. Cray was successful on a sac bunt attempt, advancing both runners up a base. Hurd's sacrifice fly plated Peterson for the fourth SU run. Olson walked before Sheldon Stober singled to left to score pinch-runner Eric Koenig for a two-run lead. Carpenter's single to right hit Stober in between first and second immediately ending the play for the third out.

Sanchez was hit by an Anderson pitch to lead off the CSUB ninth. It was the 17th time this season Sanchez was hit by a pitch, resetting the school record in the category (16 was the previous mark, recorded twice, most recently by Cael Brockmeyer in 2013). Jordie Hein (Sr., Scottsdale, Ariz., Chapparal HS) walked before Mylz Jones' (Jr., Palmdale, Calif., Paraclete HS) sacrifice bunt moved the runners up a base. Metzgar grounded out to short but Sanchez scored on the play. Hein tied the game when he scored on an Anderson wild pitch. Carter grounded out to third to send the game into extra innings.

With one out in the top of the 10th, Grant Newton singled through the right side. Peterson singled to right. AJ Monarrez (R-Jr., Hawthorne, Calif., Glendale College) relieved Carter to face pinch-hitter Curtis Perrin. Perrin grounded into a fielder's choice for the second out, but baserunners remained on the corners. Cray was intentionally walked to load the base. Hurd popped out to first for out No. 3.

The bottom of the 10th began with a Drew Seelman (Fr., Temecula, Calif., Temeucla Valley HS) single. Gusbeth reached on a bunt single as Seelman made it to second. White was called upon to put down the sac bunt which was successful.  Pinch-hitter Logan Trowbridge (Sr., Santa Cruz, Calif., College of San Mateo) faced a new SU pitcher, Ryan Freitas. Freitas intentionally walked Trowbridge to load the bases and bring up Sanchez who worked the count to 3-1 before earning the game winning run.

Sanchez was 3-of-3 with three RBI's to pace the Roadrunners. Hough, who entered the game with seven hits all season, was 2-for-3.  Carter and Gusbeth were both 2-for-5. Stober led SU by going 3-for-5. Three other SU players had three hits.

“Moving Joey down to the ninth spot got him some pitches,” Kernen said. “They pitch the nine hole guy differently than the two hole guy. So that was one of the reasons we did that.”

The CSUB (35-22-1) victory forces a second championship game against Seattle U (31-26) that will be played on Sunday at 12 p.m. The game can be heard on 1230 ESPN and seen on the WAC Digital Network.

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