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California State University at Bakersfield Athletics

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Mark Nessia/Mark Nessia Photography
8
Winner Grand Canyon GCU 27-19
5
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 17-29
Winner
Grand Canyon GCU
27-19
8
Final
5
CSU Bakersfield CSUB
17-29
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
Grand Canyon GCU 2 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 8 9 2
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 2 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 5 12 2

W: Vorhof, Mick (3-2) L: King, Kyle (1-4)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Roadrunners Can’t Complete Comeback in Series Finale

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Trailing 5-3 after six innings, the CSU Bakersfield baseball team notched solo tallies in the seventh and eighth innings to force extras, but Grand Canyon University scored three runs in the 10th to claim an 8-5 victory and the series win. 

The Roadrunners (17-29, 7-11 WAC) pulled to within one in the seventh on a RBI groundout by Andrew Penner that allowed Noah Barba to score.  Barba singled to start the inning and moved all the way to third on a throwing error by the GCU pitcher on a pickoff attempt.  In the eighth, it was Jake Ortega for the second straight day providing the late inning magic.  With two outs, Buck Anderson ripped a base hit to right field and stole second midway through Ortega's at-bat.  The catcher ripped a 2-2 pitch up the middle to score Anderson and tie the score. 

Reliever Aaron Charles ran into some trouble in the ninth, but Kyle King came on with one out and runners on first and second and got a pop fly to Evan Berkey at shortstop and a groundball to Anderson at second to end the threat.  CSUB didn't score in the ninth and the two teams headed to extras for the first time this season at Hardt Field. 

In the 10th, Zach Malis blasted his third home run of the ballgame to start the inning and Quin Cotton hit a two-run single to put the Lopes up 8-5.  King (1-4) was charged with all three runs in the inning and took the loss.  Grand Canyon closer Mick Vorhof (3-2) picked up the win after tossing the final two scoreless innings. 

Both teams plated two runs in the first inning.  CSUB's first three batters singled and Ryan Koch and Luis Martinez hit back-to-back sacrifice flies to tie the game for the `Runners.  The Lopes took a 3-2 lead in the third on Malis' second homer of the day, but Martinez answered the call for the home team with a solo shot of his own in the fourth.

The Lopes (27-19, 14-4) chased starter Isaac Meza in the sixth.  The sophomore threw 5.2 innings and allowed five runs, four of which were earned.  Aaron Charles struck out three and walked three in 2.2 innings of scoreless work before handing off to King. 

CSUB outhit GCU 12-9 and were led by Penner's three hits.  Penner had multiple hits in all four games this week and was 7-for-13 with two runs and three RBI in the three-game set.  Ortega and Barba also had a pair of base knocks. 

The loss drops the `Runners to sixth place in the Western Athletic Conference standings, but CSUB holds a one-game lead over the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley for the final position in the WAC Tournament.  CSUB will head to the University of Northern Colorado next weekend for a three-game set.  The Bears swept the Vaqueros this weekend to vault over UTRGV and CSUB. 

The Roadrunners remain at home on Tuesday when they host Loyola Marymount University for a non-conference game at 6:00 p.m.
 
 
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