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Graham Kuck
Mark Duffel

Baseball

CSUB Takes Series Lead Over Future Big West Foe

Box Score

HONOLULU, Hawaii – With the CSU Bakersfield baseball team clinging to a 5-4 lead with one out and a baserunner on third in the seventh inning, Graham Kuck entered the game on the mound and got a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning.  Kuck tossed scoreless eighth and ninth innings to pick up his second career save and propel the Roadrunners to a 2-1 series lead over Hawaii. 

The junior reliever tossed a perfect eighth inning, and worked around an error that prolonged the Rainbow Warrior ninth and put the tying run at third base.  In the next at-bat, he got the game-ending ground out to Tyler Jorgensen at third and the `Runners held on for the 5-4 victory.  He did not allow a hit in the outing. 

Ethan Skuija (2-1) got the win for the visitors after he tossed 6.1 innings and allowed just four hits and three earned runs.

CSUB took advantage of some free bases to open the scoring in the second inning.  Jake Ortega led off the inning with a walk, advanced to second on a balk and moved to third on a passed ball.  Nick Grossman knocked him in when he grounded out to the shortstop in the next-at bat. 

The visiting `Runners pushed the lead to 3-0 in the third.  Tyler Jorgensen and Will Picketts singled to start the inning and Picketts stole second to get both runners in scoring position.  Evan Berkey made the most of his opportunity with a two-run single to right.  The Rainbow Warriors matched with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning, but just one of the runs was earned against Skuija. 

CSUB added solo tallies in the fifth and the seventh to slowly build its lead.  On both occasions it was Ortega who provided the big at-bat.  He hit a sacrifice fly to score Picketts in the fifth and scored Noah Barba on an infield single in the seventh. 

It's safe to say the CSUB offense has come out of their funk.  The `Runners have had at least seven hits in each of the last seven games including 10 on Saturday night.  Barba has been a big part of that effort and is riding a 12-game hitting streak after he had two more safeties.  Berkey and Jorgensen also had two hits in the victory.  The third baseman has now reached base safely in 14 straight games, which is second on the team to Ortega's 15.  Picketts also did some damage out of the No. 9 spot of the order.  He walked, singled and scored twice. 

CSUB (11-10) is over .500 for the first time this season and will go for its third-straight series victory tomorrow at 4:05 p.m. PST. 
 

 
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Players Mentioned

Noah Barba

#2 Noah Barba

3B/OF
5' 11"
Senior
L/R
Evan Berkey

#4 Evan Berkey

SS
5' 10"
Sophomore
R/R
Jake Ortega

#33 Jake Ortega

C
5' 10"
Senior
L/R
Ethan Skuija

#37 Ethan Skuija

RHP
6' 3"
Junior
R/R
Tyler Jorgensen

#10 Tyler Jorgensen

INF
6' 1"
Junior
L/R
Nick  Grossman

#3 Nick Grossman

OF
6' 0"
Junior
L/R
Will  Picketts

#12 Will Picketts

INF
6' 0"
Junior
R/R
Graham  Kuck

#36 Graham Kuck

LHP
6' 0"
Junior
L/L

Players Mentioned

Noah Barba

#2 Noah Barba

5' 11"
Senior
L/R
3B/OF
Evan Berkey

#4 Evan Berkey

5' 10"
Sophomore
R/R
SS
Jake Ortega

#33 Jake Ortega

5' 10"
Senior
L/R
C
Ethan Skuija

#37 Ethan Skuija

6' 3"
Junior
R/R
RHP
Tyler Jorgensen

#10 Tyler Jorgensen

6' 1"
Junior
L/R
INF
Nick  Grossman

#3 Nick Grossman

6' 0"
Junior
L/R
OF
Will  Picketts

#12 Will Picketts

6' 0"
Junior
R/R
INF
Graham  Kuck

#36 Graham Kuck

6' 0"
Junior
L/L
LHP
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