BAKERSFIELD, Calif.—CSU Bakersfield won its sixth consecutive Western Athletic Conference baseball game in a row Thursday night as the Roadrunners defeated the University of North Dakota 15-2.

Despite CSUB starter Isaiah Moten walking three Fighting Hawks' batters in the top of the first, North Dakota could only score one run. Dustin Frailey led off the CSUB first with his eighth triple of the season. He would score on a Mahlik Jones ground out to short to tie the game.

Drew Seelman led off the bottom of the second with a double down the left field line off of UND reliever Andrew Favro. Favro entered the game after McNair McKay left the game after an apparent arm injury. Cody White worked out a four-pitch walk. Sergio Robles failed to sacrifice the runners up a base and struck out looking. Junior Felix's fly ball to short left was dropped by Lewis who had called off Cooper Mass, the North Dakota shortstop, on the play. Frailey's sac fly to center was deep enough to score Seelman. Jones walked to load the bases. David Metzgar singled through the left side to drive in two runs. Max Carter grounded out to third to keep the score at 4-1.

The left handed hitting Lewis made up for his error in the top of the third. He took advantage of the wind blowing out to right and smacked his third home run of the year to cut the lead to 4-2. Ryan Grotjohn, the lone lefty bat in the CSUB starting lineup, opened the bottom of the third with his first home run of the season. Seelman earned a walked and moved to second on a White grounder to second. Robles hit a ball to the deepest part of Hardt Field in center, just missing going over the fence. The ball landed on the warning track for a triple and 6-2 lead.

With the infield in, Felix struck out. Frailey walked and tied the CSUB school record (Jordie Hein 17, 2014) for most stolen bases in a season with his 17th. With 'Runners at second and third, Favaro worked out of the jam as he got Jones to ground out to second.

CSUB began the fourth with three consecutive hits to load the bases. Seelman struck out looking before White walked to pick up an RBI. Henry Berning relieved Favaro. After falling behind in the count 0-2, Robles singled through the left side to drive in two runs. With two outs, Frailey walked to load the bases for the third time on the night. Jones' grounder to short was booted by Maas, allowing a run to score. Metzgar would fly out to right to complete the inning.

The Roadrunners put the first two batters on in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, White hit his first career home run, an opposite field three-run blast to increase the CSUB lead to 11.  The Roadrunners added two more in the inning to make it 15-2.

Robles, a freshman, went 2-for-3 with a season high three RBI's. Grotjohn was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a RBI. Frailey posted his 25th multi-hit game of the year as he was 2-for-3 with two RBI' two walks, and a run scored. White drove in a total of four runs. Metzgar was 2-for-3 with three RBI's. Lewis had two of the four UND hits.

Moten, who posted 34 pitches to get out of the first, only needed 65 more pitches to be credited with the complete game. He would only walk one batter outside of the first and he struck out three. North Dakota pitchers issued 11 walks and hit three Roadrunners. 

The Roadrunner playoff hopes remained alive Thursday night. CSUB's two rivals for the sixth and final spot in next week's WAC Tournament lost. Northern Colorado dropped a 10-6 decision to NM State while UTRGV fell 10-0 to Grand Canyon.

With each team not playing the full 27-game conference schedule due to weather, the sixth spot will be given to the team among the 'Runners, Bears, and Vaqueros. Northern Colorado is 10-11 (.477). CSUB is 10-14 (.417) while UTRGV is 9-13 (.409) in league play entering Friday action.

CSUB (16-35) and North Dakota (8-35, 4-21 WAC) continue the series Friday night. 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. The can be heard on 1230 AM/98.1 FM ESPN radio beginning at 5:45 p.m. with Corey Costelloe on the call.

~www.GoRunners.com~