GREELEY, Colo.—Due to weather CSU Bakersfield and Northern Colorado moved up a game and would play a Western Athletic Conference baseball doubleheader Friday.

GAME 1

The Bears defeated the Roadrunners 9-2 in the opener. Three of the first Northern Colorado batters posted hits as the Bears scored three times in the bottom of the first to take the lead. Cody White got the 'Runners on the board with a triple that plated Mahlik Jones in the top of the fourth.

Northern Colorado would break the game open with a six-run rally in the bottom of the fourth. The Bears would send 11 batters to the plate during the inning. Dustin Frailey's RBI ground out in the bottom the fifth would score Drew Seelman.  The Roadrunners loaded the bases with one out in the top of the sixth, but Bears' reliever struck out Allen Cook and Chance Gusbeth to get out of the inning.

Dean Lawson paced the Bears as he went 2-for-4 with three RBI's and two runs scored. Jacob Ek was 2-for-3 with three RBI's. Ryan Yamane was 2-for-3 with two RBI's and two runs scored. Nick Tanner went 2-for-3 with a run scored. Northern Colorado starter Corey Nakakura, Cook, and Cody Carroll combined to strike out 11.

Frailey recorded at least two hits for the fourth consecutive game, going 2-for-5 while White ended up 2-for-3.  Sophomore Matthew Franco relieved Garrett Nimmo in the fourth and pitching a season high 4.2 innings. Franco allowed two hits and one run during his stint on the mound.

GAME 2

Northern Colorado complete the sweep when Cole Maltese hit a three-run home run with one out in the bottom of the 10th to give the Bears a 6-3 victory.

Yamane put Northern Colorado up in the bottom of the first with an RBI single. Payton Tapia added an RBI in the bottom of the second to increase the advantage to two.

Christian Deaton's RBI ground out to first in the top of the fourth cut the Bears' lead in half. The 'Runners took a 3-2 lead in the fifth when Junior Felix doubled in Seelman for the tying run before Jones singled Felix.

Dan Reese singled up the middle to tie the game with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. Northern Colorado, which was unsuccessful at attempting a suicide squeeze earlier in the inning, attempted a double steal. Junior Felix, the CSUB catcher, looked the runner back to third before throwing out Reese on the back half of the double steal for the final out.

Isaiah Moten relieved CSUB starter Andrew Hansen to start the seventh and he retired six in a row. The Roadrunners put the go-ahead runs on in the ninth as Seelman and Frailey posted singles with two outs. Connor Leedholm relieved UNC starter Alex Werbach to face Jones. Leedhold won the battle, getting Jones to ground into a fielder's choice for the final out.

Yamane led off the bottom of the ninth with a single to left. Rob Cashel pinch ran for Yamane. Minnick attempted a sacrifice bunt that was bobbled by Moten on the mound allowing both runners to be called safe. Cam Huber would pinch run for Minnick before Reese drove in the game winning run. Reese, attempting to lay down a sac bunt, popped out.

Nakakura pinch hit for Ek and would hit a ball in the air that fell under the infield fly rules and was ruled as the second out. Tapia would walk to load the bases before Moten struck out Tyler Yamaguchi to send the game into extra innings.

CSUB would go down in order in the top of the 10th. The Bears' leadoff hitter, Nick Tanner, began Northern Colorado 10th with a single. Lawson was hit by a Moten pitch setting the stage for Maltese's gamewinning home run.

Frailey again charted two hits, marking the 18th time this season he has posted at least two hits in a game. Max Carter tallied two hits. Tanner and Yamane combined for six (three each) of the 11 UNC hits.

Northern Colorado (8-22, 3-5 WAC) and CSUB (7-26, 2-9 WAC) will attempt to conclude the series on Saturday. A game time has not been determined as weather is expected to hit the Greeley area Friday night.

The Roadrunners return home next Tuesday to begin a five-game home stand against Cal State Fullerton. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Tickets are available through the CSUB Ticket Office at (661) 654-BLUE or tickets@csub.edu, or online at Vallitix.com.

~www.GoRunners.com~