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California State University at Bakersfield Athletics

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Jaime Guzman/WAC
4
Winner CSU Bakersfield CSUB 1-0
3
UC Santa Barbara UCSB 0-1
Winner
CSU Bakersfield CSUB
1-0
4
Final
3
UC Santa Barbara UCSB
0-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 4 7 1
UC Santa Barbara UCSB 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 10 3

W: Azevedo, Kiara (1-0) L: Gulvin, V (0-1)

0
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 1-1
8
Winner Sacramento State SAC 1-0
CSU Bakersfield CSUB
1-1
0
Final
8
Sacramento State SAC
1-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2
Sacramento State SAC 3 1 0 1 2 1 8 10 0

W: Corr, Savanna (1-0) L: Azevedo, Kiara (1-1)

Game Recap: Softball |

CSUB Softball Kicks 2019 Off with Split



SACRAMENTO, Calif. – CSU Bakersfield's softball team opened the 2019 season with an exciting start as the Roadrunners won their first game of the year on a seventh-inning home run. Opening Day ended in a split after CSUB fell to a 2018 NCAA Tournament participant in Sacramento State, but Bakersfield's victory over UC Santa Barbara gave the `Runners confidence at the start of the year.

"The first game, I like how aggressive we were and got the first win of the year," said Crissy Buck-Ziegler, Head Coach of the `Runners. "We made too many mistakes defensively in the second game and need to make adjustments at the plate."

CSUB 4, UCSB 3

In the bottom half of the first inning, sophomore transfer Julie Lewis found herself in a bit of trouble with Gauchos on the corners and no outs. The right-handed pitcher induced a grounder and the `Runner defense backed Lewis up, retiring the runner at third. Lewis then got a batter to foul out before another grounder got CSUB out of the frame unscathed.

The `Runner infield continued to protect Lewis as CSUB was able to get out of jams in both the second and third innings as well. Bakersfield got its first good chance to score in the top of the fourth after Paige Johnson singled, stole second base, and ended up a third on a throwing error. The two-out opportunity went squandered as CSUB's sixth strikeout of the game to that point ended the threat.

In the top of the sixth, CSUB got some momentum rolling with back-to-back singles from redshirt freshman Katie Jackson and junior Cydney Curran. After freshman Ally Miller's sacrifice bunt moved the pair of `Runners into scoring position, Johnson, a senior third baseman, put Bakersfield on the board with a 2-RBI single. An error on the play allowed Johnson to score as well as CSUB took a 3-0 lead.

Freshman Kiara Azevedo came on to relieve Lewis in the bottom half of the frame and got into a pinch with Gauchos on the corners and one out. UCSB's Melanie Menor triple to right and was able to score on an error, erasing Bakersfield's three-run lead with one swing of the bat.

The tie score would only last two pitches into the top of the seventh when senior Chris Hipa sent a solo blast to left center, putting the `Runners ahead 4-3. CSUB went on to load the bases thanks to a few miscues from the UCSB infield, but pitcher Veronika Gulvin got the Gauchos out of the jam.

Azevedo returned to the circle and, despite allowing a two-out single, closed the door on UCSB to pick up her first collegiate win. Lewis' strong performance set the `Runners up with the opportunity to win as the native of Arroyo Grande, Calif. pitched five innings while scattering six hits and one walk and allowing no runs.

Johnson finished the game 2-for-4 while keeping busy with four putouts and five assists on defense. Hipa's home run is the ninth of her career, moving the senior into a tie for fourth in CSUB's Division I history. Jackson tallied her first collegiate single while Curran, CSUB's starting shortstop, went 1-for-3 as well with four putouts and four assists.

CSUB 0, Sacramento State 8 (6 inn.)

The Hornets jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. A leadoff double followed by two hit batters, a walk, and a single found CSUB's starter for Game 2, Azevedo, removed from the circle. Hipa, the starting second baseman and a true utility player, moved to the circle and got CSUB out of a bases-loaded jam with a strikeout. Sacramento State used an RBI double to extend its lead to 4-0 in the next inning.

In the bottom of the third, the Hornets put runners on the corners with no outs. A squeeze bunt failed when Hipa fielded it cleaning and catcher Karah Wiseman tagged the runner out at home. A wild pitch put two Hornets in scoring position with one out, but a grounder and a strikeout helped Hipa and the `Runners get out of trouble.

Sacramento State went on to plate its fifth run in the bottom of the fourth on a sacrifice fly ball. A triple led to two runs in the fifth inning, putting the Hornets ahead of the `Runners 7-0. The host team finished the game off in the bottom of the sixth when an RBI single plated the eighth run of the game.

Tomorrow

The `Runners (1-1) are scheduled to get back to work tomorrow with a single game in Davis, Calif. CSUB will take on UC Davis, the co-host of the NorCal Kickoff, at 2:30 p.m. granted the weather allows it. For the most up-to-date information, follow @CSUB_Softball on Twitter (link above).
~GoRunners.com~
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