BAKERSFIELD, Calif.—In a game that featured four ties and four lead changes, CSU Bakersfield came away with a 6-5 victory over Northern Colorado Saturday night.

“This was a dogfight game,” said CSUB head coach Bill Kernen. “We had to do everything we could to scratch it out.”

Three of the first four Bears' hitters in the top of the first all record singles. The spurt resulted UNC taking a 1-0 lead. CSUB tied the score in bottom of the first when Jordie Hein (Sr., Scottsdale, Ariz., Chapparal HS) scored during a Bears' double play. The Roadrunners took their first lead of the series in the bottom of the second when Max Carter (So., Bakersfield, Calif., Stockdale HS) scored on a Northern Colorado error. Ryan Grotjohn (So., Cave Creek, Ariz., Brophy College Prep) singled in Mylz Jones (Jr., Palmdale, Calif., Paraclete HS) to increase the lead to 3-1.

The first two CSUB errors came in the top of the third and they resulted in UNC's second run. The Roadrunners' third error of the game allowed the tying run to score in the top of the fourth.  Logan Trowbridge (Sr., Santa Cruz, Calif., College of San Mateo) started the CSUB fourth with a triple to right center and scored on an Alex Werbach wild pitch.  A two-out David Metzgar (So., Lancaster, Calif., Paraclete HS) double later in the inning chased Werbach. Allen Cook, a lefty, came in to face the left-handed hitting Soloman Williams (Sr., Long Beach, Calif., Golden West College) and he got the 6-7 CSUB first basemen to fly out to left.

“The answer back innings are indicative of a quality team,” Kernen said. “It is like a boxing match, if you get hit, you have to hit back.”

Cole Maltese tripled with one out in the top of the fifth for the Bears. CSUB brought the infield in against Nick Tanner and the defensive alignment worked as he hit a grounder to Jones at short. Jones threw across to first for the second out. Dan Reese singled up the middle to plate Maltese and tie the score for the third time. CSUB starter James Barragan (Sr., Bakersfield, Calif., Stockdale HS) struck out Jake Garcia for the final out of the Bears' fifth.

Marco Castilla opened the seventh with a single. He was lifted in favor of Justin Mulvaney and the UNC pinch-runner stole second. Ahead in the count 0-2, Barragan uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Mulvaney to move to third. Barragan struck out Maltese, his seventh of the game. CSUB again brought the infield against Tanner. Tanner struck out, but Barragan's first pitch against Reese went to the backstop and gave Northern Colorado a 5-4 lead. Reese would ground out to end the frame.

Cook hit Grotjohn to get the bottom of the eighth underway.  Chance Gusbeth (Jr., Lancaster, Calif., Desert Christian HS) attempted to put down a sacrifice bunt.  His two efforts were unsuccessful, forcing Gusbeth to swing away. Gusbeth responded with a triple (his sixth tying the CSUB school record for most triples in a season with three others) to right center to drive in Grotjohn.

The Bears drew the infield in against Trowbridge.  Cook bore down and struck out Trowbridge. With the infield still drawn in, Hein lined a single to right to plate Gusbeth to return the lead for good to the Roadrunners. Kris Cayton (R-Sr., Manhattan Beach, Calif., LA Harbor College) struck out looking for the second out. Metzgar flew out to right to conclude the inning.

At 125 pitches, Barragan came out to start the ninth and face Jensen Park, the fourth leading hitter in Division I (.422). For the second consecutive night, Park recorded his third hit, a single to left. Brandon Vaughn went for the sac bunt which was successful.  Payton Tapia entered the game as a pinch-hitter. CSUB went to the bullpen at the same time, calling on Garrett Nimmo (So., Temecula, Calif., Temecula Valley HS) in the save situation.

Nimmo, who picked up the win in a seven-inning relief performance against Cal Poly on Tuesday night, got Tapia to ground out back to him on the mound. Park advanced to third as Maltese came to bat. Matlese was hit by a pitch with the count standing at 2-1. With runners on the corners, Nimmo got ahead of Tanner in the count at 0-2 and struck him out to record his third career save.

“Northern Colorado can hit,” Kernen said. “Even though James threw over 100 pitches, I wanted to see what he looked like. They got the hit. Garrett has been hot over his last couple of outings. When you have the hot hand, you use him.”

Castilla was 3-for-4 with an RBI. Park would post a 3-for-5 performance. Reyn Sugai and Reese also tallied two hits for Northern Colorado. Carter was 2-for-3 with a walk for CSUB. Trowbridge went 2-for-3 with a run scored. Joey Sanchez (So., Pico Rivera, Calif., El Rancho HS) and Hein each added two hits for the Roadrunners. Williams was credited with 16 putouts, tying Carter for the third most in a game by a CSUB player.

Northern Colorado did not have a 1-2-3 inning recorded against them in the entire game. The Bears put the leadoff hitter on five times. The only time either team was retired in order was in the CSUB seventh. Both teams stranded five through the first three innings, combining for 19 in the game.

The series between CSUB (26-17-1, 12-6-1 WAC) and Northern Colorado (15-22, 11-7 WAC) concludes Sunday afternoon at 12 p.m. Tickets are available at Vallitix.com. If you can't make it to Hardt Field, you can the game on Bakersfield.com

~GoRunners.com~