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California State University at Bakersfield Athletics

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PaigeJohnsonMN05
Mark Nessia/Mark Nessia Photography
2
Santa Clara SCU 8-20
5
Winner CSU Bakersfield CSUB 13-15
Santa Clara SCU
8-20
2
Final
5
CSU Bakersfield CSUB
13-15
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Santa Clara SCU 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 5 1
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 0 0 5 0 0 0 X 5 4 0

W: Fitch, Avery (2-3) L: ANDERSON, L. (2-9) S: Hipa, Chris (2)

3
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 13-16
5
Winner Fresno State FS 22-11
CSU Bakersfield CSUB
13-16
3
Final
5
Fresno State FS
22-11
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 3 3 3
Fresno State FS 1 4 0 0 0 0 X 5 7 1

W: LUNG, D. (8-1) L: Hitzel, Daryn (4-6) S: DOLCINI, H. (2)

Game Recap: Softball |

CSUB Softball Posts 3-3 Record at Fresno State Invite



FRESNO, Calif. – A long and testing weekend at the Fresno State Invitational came to an end on Sunday as CSU Bakersfield's softball team wrapped up the four-day tournament with a 3-3 record against a strong field of teams. Just as they did in their last two pairs of games, the Roadrunners split Sunday's twin bill, downing Santa Clara 5-2 before dropping a close one against host Fresno State, 5-3.

"I think we had a better mindset on today's ball games," said Crissy Buck-Ziegler, Head Coach of the `Runners. "We have to clean up our defense this week at practice. If we limit our mistakes in the second inning against Fresno State, we win the ball game."

CSUB 5, Santa Clara 2

Santa Clara got out to a one-run lead on Bakersfield in the top of the second inning. A lead-off double followed by a two-out, RBI double put the Broncos ahead, 1-0.

In the bottom of the third, CSUB exploded for all five of its runs in the game. Freshman Ally Miller singled and later made it to second base thanks to a Cydney Curran sacrifice bunt. Karah Wiseman tallied a single of her own, driving in Miller to tie the score. After seniors Chris Hipa and Nicole Curry both walked, their classmate Paige Johnson sent a ball sailing down the left field line and cleared the bases with a grand slam. Johnson, a junior college transfer who came to CSUB last season, gave Bakersfield a 5-1 lead with her first homer as a `Runner.

Freshman Avery Fitch, pitching in relief to start the third inning, retired eight-straight Broncos between the third and fifth innings. A walk broke that streak in the top of the sixth and Santa Clara was able to score one run in the frame to make the score 5-2, but Fitch limited the damage and sent Bakersfield to the final inning.

With SCU threatening to score in the seventh, Buck-Ziegler called on Hipa, who starts at second base but can pitch as well, to close out the game. The senior moved to the circle and got the final out of the contest, preserving the 5-2 victory with her second-straight save.

Fitch, a native of Chowchilla, Calif., earned her second victory of the week after leading CSUB to a 12-4 win over San Diego on Thursday. On Sunday, the righty threw 4.2 innings in relief, allowing just one run on three hits and a pair of walks to 20 Bronco batters. Fellow freshman Kiara Azevedo pitched the first two innings of the game and got a no decision after allowing one run.

Outside of a 2-for-3 performance from Wiseman, CSUB got almost all of its offense in the third inning. The `Runners combined for just four total hits and a pair of walks on the game while leaning on the pitching staff to hold back the Broncos. Johnson's third-inning slam proved to be the difference on the offensive side.

CSUB 3, Fresno State 5

The Bulldogs jumped out to an early, 1-0 lead on CSUB in the bottom of the first inning. With the bases loaded, a throwing error by Bakersfield's starter, Daryn Hitzel, allowed the run to score, but the lefty responded well by striking out the next batter and getting a groundout to limit the damage.

Fresno State tacked on four more runs in the bottom half of the second to take a 5-0 lead on the `Runners. The Bulldogs put two runners in scoring position with one out, then enjoyed a trio of RBI singles. Hitzel battled through the tough frame and recorded the final out, then proceed to retire eight-straight Bulldogs to give her team some time to get its offense rolling.

In the top of the third, Bakersfield put one run on the scoreboard thanks to an RBI double from Hipa. The shot to the gap scored fellow Hawaiian Curran and made the score 5-1.

CSUB finally started to simmer in the top of the sixth, loading the bases with no outs for freshman Samantha Pech. After working a 3-1 count, the designated player was plunked on the arm, bringing home Curry to make the score 5-2. A strikeout gave the Bulldogs their first out, but a wild pitch allowed Johnson to come around and pull CSUB within two runs. The `Runners lined out for Out 2 and a controversial call on a tag at second base ended CSUB's momentum and got Fresno State out of the inning with a 5-3 lead.

Hitzel worked around a one-out double in the bottom of the sixth to send CSUB to its final chance to tie the score or go ahead. In the top of the seventh, the `Runners were unable to rally this time and Bakersfield fell to Fresno State, 5-3. Hitzel, a native of Corona, Calif., threw all six innings, allowing five runs on seven hits while striking out a pair of Bulldogs.

CSUB tallied three hits against Fresno State on Sunday, but enjoyed six walks from six different `Runners to give the Bulldogs trouble. Hipa finished the game 1-for-3 with her RBI double and a walk while Pech reached base twice with a walk and an RBI hit by pitch.

Next Week

Bakersfield (13-16, 2-1 WAC) will take its lessons learned and momentum earned to a Western Athletic Conference road series next weekend. The `Runners are set to travel to Phoenix, Ariz., the site of the 2019 WAC Tournament in May, for a three-game series against league-leading Grand Canyon (23-14, 5-1 WAC). The Lopes will welcome to Bakersfield on a hot streak, having won 11 of their last 12 games.
 
~GoRunners.com~
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