BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The CSU Bakersfield Roadrunner softball team continued a busy stretch of games leading up to Western Athletic Conference play with a non-league, midweek doubleheader on Tuesday. The 'Runners fell in the pair of games to the CSUN Matadors at the Roadrunner Softball Complex.

“I thought that Alyssa Stockton threw well early in the first game and I thought Sydney Raeber threw well,” said Crissy Buck-Ziegler, Head Coach of the 'Runners. “Our pitchers were doing a good enough job to keep us in the ball game. Our hitters have to step up and hit; that has been a theme all season and that's what we're trying to work on, figuring out how to relax under pressure.”

Game 1

The Roadrunners committed an error in each of the first two innings, creating scoring opportunities for the Matadors. CSUB used solid defense to get out of a jam in the first, but the team's error in the second led to a CSUN run. An RBI single by left fielder Sabrina Garcia gave the Matadors a one-run lead early in the game.

Bakersfield loaded the bases in the bottom of the second and capitalized on pitching mistakes by CSUN. Katie Chenault, the Matador starter, plunked Raeber on the shoulder to bring in a run before Adrianna Cardoza drew a walk for a second run. CSUB took a 2-1 lead into the third inning.

The Matadors tied up the game with a run in the top of the fourth before an offensive explosion in the sixth. CSUN took back the lead on Ariana Wassmer's solo shot to lead off the top half of the inning. The Matadors went on to tack on four more runs in the inning, taking a 7-2 lead late into the game.

CSUB threatened right back in the bottom half of the sixth, putting 'Runners on base, but failed to cut into the deficit. The 'Runners eventually fell by a final score of 7-3 as the Matadors improved to 19-14 on the season. Despite only recording three hits in the game, CSUB had plenty of baserunners thanks to six walks. Stockton (1-5), a freshman, took the loss after giving up nine hits and four earned runs over 5.0 innings.

Game 2

Katie Hooper's RBI double put the Matadors ahead in the top of the first inning. After a single put runners on the corners, CSUB got out of the inning with just a one-run deficit. The 'Runners then started a two-out rally in the bottom of the first with Raeber's double to the opposite gap. Selena Gonzalez was then hit on the arm, but a strikeout ended the CSUB surge.

Both teams' pitchers settled down after the first inning and were nearly perfect until the fourth. CSUN used two hits and an error to score an unearned run and take a 2-1 lead in the top half of the inning.

The Roadrunners answered back with a run of their own in the bottom of the fourth. Raeber, who was CSUB's starting pitcher for Game 2, singled to lead off and stole second. After Gonzalez singled to put 'Runners on the corners, Raeber scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at two runs apiece.

Two singles, a walk, and two fielder's choices that did not result in outs helped the Matadors score two runs in the top of the fifth. Raeber finished out the inning in the circle before junior Lyndsay Klimenko came in to pitch the final two innings. Klimenko, a right hander from Half Moon Bay, Calif. gave up a walk in her two innings, but retired the other six Matadors she faced to keep the score at 4-1.

With a rally in mind, Nicole Curry led off the bottom of the seventh with a single down the line. After a strikeout, Chris Hipa's infield single moved Curry's pinch runner, Josie Flores, into scoring position. With two outs and a pair of 'Runners in scoring position, a pop up ended the threat and the game.

CSUN improved to 20-14 on the season while the 'Runners fell to 8-21. Raeber (2-3) took the loss after pitching five complete innings and giving up three earned runs while striking out three Matadors. The senior utility player also went 2-for-3 from the plate in the game and had two RBI on the day.

With the doubleheader against CSUN, the Roadrunners have just one non-conference game remaining on the schedule. CSUB will stay home and open WAC play on Friday with the first of a three-game series against Utah Valley. The game will begin at 2 p.m. and will be followed by a doubleheader on Saturday to close the series.

~GoRunners.com~