Box Score BELLEVUE, Wash.—Seattle University defeated CSU Bakersfield 10-4 in the Western Athletic Conference baseball opener for both schools Friday afternoon.
The game was moved up from the scheduled 5 p.m. start to 3:15 p.m. due to a threat of weather in the Seattle area. The Redhawks scored twice in the bottom of the second after getting a pair of doubles from Lucas Denney and Dalton Hurd.
Cody White got the Roadrunners on the board with an RBI double that allowed Sergio Robles to score all the way from first with one out in the top of the fourth. The Redhawks sent 11 batters to the plate in the bottom of the fourth, scoring six times (all with two outs) to break the game open.
"Seattle's sixth inning was too much for us to overcome," said CSUB head coach Bob Macaluso.
Brock Carpenter's two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth made it 10-1. Tarik Skubal, the WAC leader in ERA at 0.89, limited the Roadrunners to four hits in six innings of action. Zach Wolfe pitched two scoreless innings for the Redhawks before giving way to Ryan Freitas in the ninth.
Freitas hit Nick Vehlewald to begin the ninth before giving up a double to pinch-hitter Christian Deaton. Jake Prizina relieved Wolfe to face Ryan Grotjohn in a lefty-lefty matchup. Grotjohn earned an RBI with a sac fly to left that scored pinch-runner Cole Valetta. Deaton advanced to third. Pinch-hitter Andrew Hansen doubled down the right field line to drive in Deaton for his first collegiate hit and the third CSUB run.
Drew Seelman, the Roadrunners' third pinch hitter of the inning, worked out a walk against Prizina. Mahlik Jones singled to load the bases. David Metzgar's sac fly to right drove in Hansen. Max Carter grounded out to second for the final out of the game.
Sean Sutton and Jeffery Morgan both went 2-for-3 with two RBI's to lead Seattle U. Carpenter was 2-for-3 with four RBI's, and three runs scored. Jones was the lone CSUB hitter with more than one hit as he went 2-for-5.
The Roadrunners (5-16) continue the series against Seattle University (12-9) Friday. First pitch has been moved up two hours to 3 p.m. to avoid forecasted weather in the area. The Roadrunners return home Apr. 1 when CSUB hosts Grand Canyon in a WAC series. Tickets are available through the CSUB Ticket Office at (661) 654-BLUE or tickets@csub.edu, or online at Vallitix.com.
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