PALO ALTO, Calif. – The CSU Bakersfield wrestling team fell to 2-2 on the year with a heartbreaking 18-16 defeat to national powerhouse Stanford.

The `Runners opened the meet by sending redshirt freshman Alex Hernandez-Figueroa out against the ninth ranked wrestler in the country at 125, Connor Schram.  Schram would win by decision 8-4.

Stanford would extend their lead with a decision victory at 133 when Gabriel Townsell defeated Noah Blakley-Beanes 10-5.

The `Runners would take three of the next four matches, starting at 141 with Russell Rohlfing, ranked 19^th in the country, defeated Isaiah Locsin 14-3 by major decision.

Stanford's Requir van der Merwe won 7-5 by decision over `Runners sophomore Kalani Tonge at the 149 weight class.

CSUB's Coleman Hammond, redshirt senior from Bakersfield, defeated Stanford's Walker Dempsey at 157 with a 1-0 decision victory.

`Runners sophomore Lorenzo De La Riva, ranked 17^th nationally, made it two in a row for CSUB when he won via decision over Brandon Dallavia 5-4 at 165.

Keaton Subjeck of Stanford, ranked 16^th in the country at 174, defeated `Runners redshirt junior Bryan Battisto 8-5 via decision.

Dominic Ducharme of the `Runners defeated Austin Flores 5-3 by decision in the 184 weight class.

The 11th ranked wrestler in the country at 197, Matt Williams of CSUB, defeated Stanford's Nathan Traxler 5-4 by decision.  Williams stays hot after winning all three matches on the east coast last weekend.

Nathan Butler of Stanford, ranked 12^th in the nation at 285, defeated CSUB's Jarrod Snyder via fall and the Cardinals would get the hard fought 18-16 victory.

Manny Rivera, CSUB's Head Coach of wrestling, said, "It was a dual we should have won.  We were close to getting a couple upsets, but fell short."

This was a big time Pac-12 dual meet, with six of the 20 wrestlers ranked in the top 20 in their respective weight classes. 

The `Runners are back on the mat on Friday, Nov. 17 when CSUB host's Pittsburgh at 4 p.m. and Wisconsin at 7 p.m.