BAKERSFIELD, Calif.—David Metzgar's two-out RBI single in the bottom of the 11th gave CSU Bakersfield a 4-3 victory over St. John's Sunday afternoon at Hardt Field.

CSUB took the lead in the bottom of the third on Metzgar's sacrifice fly which drove in Dustin Frailey for the first run of the game. AJ Monarrez retired the first 13 St. John's batters he faced before Aidan McDermott singled up the middle with one out in the top of the fifth. Monarrez picked McDermott off before Josh Dixon singled through the right side. Michael Donadio hit a ball in the hole between first and second which Metzgar dove for. The CSUB second baseman came up with the ball and threw out Donadio by a step.

Mark Venice singled up the middle to begin the SJU (2-4) sixth. John Valente reached on a two-base error that allowed Venice to head to third. CSUB head coach Bob Macaluso went to the bullpen and brought in lefty Adam Coats to face left handed hitting Alex Caruso. Caruso tied the game when he grounded out to second. Venice scored on the play. Cody White, a righty, faced the right handed hitting Josh Shaw. On White's first pitch, Shaw flew out to left for the final out.  

McDermott singled to lead off the Red Storm seventh. McDermott advanced to second on a White wild pitch. Dixon walked to bring up Donadio.  With the count 0-1, a second White wild pitch allowed both runners to move up a base. With the CSUB infield in, Donadio hit a line shot to right that drove in McDermott. Dixon had to hold up and he could only advance to third. Gui Gingras recorded a sacrifice fly which allowed Dixon to score and make it 3-1 in favor of the Red Storm. Donadio stole second, before Venice flew out to center to conclude the frame.

Graziano walked Jake Ortega to begin the CSUB seventh. Kevin Torres came on to relieve and his first assignment was Dustin Frailey. Torres hit Frailey on a 1-1 pitch. White put down a successful sac bunt to push the runners up 90 feet. Metzger, the third hitter in the Roadrunner lineup, hit a grounder to short which Valente elected to field and tag Frailey out. Ortega scored on the play while Metzgar reached first successfully. Max Carter smacked a double to the left center gap that allowed Metzgar to score all the way from first.

“Max was the guy we wanted up in that situation and he delivered,” said CSUB head coach Bob Maclauso. “It was a difference maker.”

A SJU passed ball allowed Carter to reach third. Torres walked Chance Gusbeth to put runners on the corners. Red Storm closer Thomas Hackimer relieved Torres to face Drew Seelman. On the first pitch, Seelman flew out to center. Both teams went down in order in the eighth.

Robbie Knightes led off the SJU ninth with single up the middle. CSUB reliever Garrett Nimmo got McDermott to ground into a 4-6-3 double play but he walked Dixon. Donadio grounded out to second on the first Nimmo pitch he saw.  Hackimer gave up a one-out double to White before getting Metzgar to foul to first. Carter would ground out to short to send the game into extra innings.

Gusbeth, one of the CSUB closers started the 10th for the Roadrunners. Gingras reached on a Ryan Grotjohn error which brought up Venice. Venice failed in his attempt to get the sac bunt down and would foul out to third. Valente grounded out to second as pinch-runner Jamie Galazin went to second. Caruso hit a ball deep in the hole at short. Grotjohn backhanded the ball and threw to first for the final out. Hackimer retired Roadrunners in order in the bottom of the 10th.

After 35 pitchers (24 for strikes) in 3.1 innings, Hackimer was replaced by Joe Napolitano to begin the Roadrunner 11th. Joey Sanchez was Napolitano's first batter and he popped out to right. Ortega worked the count to 3-1 before he singled up the middle. Frailey walked. Sergio Robles, who entered the game in right when Gusbeth went to the mound, flew out to deep right, setting the stage for Metzgar's game winner.

“We had no doubt that David would come through in that situation,” Macaluso said. “If you have to pick a guy, you pick Metzgar. He got a breaking ball up and he smashed it up the middle for the winner.”

Despite having only the game winning hit to his credit, Metzgar would drive in three runs. White had two hits as did Ortega. The five CSUB pitchers allowed seven hits with only McDermott recording two. Gusbeth, pitching for only the fifth time in his career, earned the victory with two shutout innings of work.

“I thought Chance was outstanding, Macaluso said. “Our goal was to win series, so we are happy that we have won two so far. I like how we are playing so far. That's a good St. John's team, we saw good pitching all weekend and did enough to win the series.”

CSUB (4-2) travels to Fresno State (8-0) Tuesday night for a 6:05 p.m. start. The Roadrunners return home Mar. 11-13 when CSUB hosts UC Riverside. Tickets are available through the CSUB  Ticket Office at (661) 654-BLUE or tickets@csub.edu, or online at Vallitix.com.

~www.GoRunners.com~