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California State University at Bakersfield Athletics

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Mark Nessia/Mark Nessia Photography
6
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 0-2
9
Winner Fresno State FS 2-0
CSU Bakersfield CSUB
0-2
6
Final
9
Fresno State FS
2-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 4 6 11 0
Fresno State FS 0 0 7 1 0 1 0 0 X 9 10 2

W: DIXON, Jake (1-0) L: Joven, Art (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Bakersfield Rally Falls Short at Fresno State

Fresno, Calif. – Fresno State scored seven times in the bottom of the third inning, and that was the difference as CSU Bakersfield fell in Fresno, 9-6, to open the season with consecutive losses. The Roadrunners out-hit the Bulldogs 11-10 on the afternoon, but their comeback bid fell just short following a ninth-inning rally.
 
Sophomore Jacen Roberson pulled the `Runners within three when he belted a two-out Kevin Larson offering over the fence in right, but that was as close as CSUB would get.
 
The Roadrunners had their opportunities early, placing a runner on second base in each of the first three innings against Fresno State starter Jake Dixon. On all three, occasions Dixon was able to wriggle out of trouble, setting the stage for the Bulldog's big bottom half of the third.
 
CSUB starter Art Joven faced the minimum through two innings, but ran into trouble the second time through the order, allowing nine of the first 10 Bulldogs he faced in the frame to reach base. Fresno recorded eight of their 10 hits in the bottom of the third, scoring seven times.
 
Redshirt senior Aaron Charles entered in relief, allowing a fielder's choice before closing out the inning with a strikeout and a ground ball.
 
Charles would toss 4.2 innings, surrendering just two hits – both solo home runs, while striking out three and walking just one.
 
Tyler Jorgensen and Eric Charles recorded multi-hit games, while nine `Runners had at least one. Charles drove in a run with a single during CSUB's ninth inning rally.
 
Dixon earned the win for Fresno, pitching six innings and allowing just four hits, walking one and striking out four.
 
Joven was saddled with the loss, lasting just 2.1 innings.
 
The two teams will meet again on Sunday, in the series finale at Beiden Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 P.M.
 
SCORING PLAYS
 
Third Inning | Hitless entering the inning, Fresno got the better of Joven the second time through the line-up, pounding out eight hits and sending 12 men to the plate in a seven-run third. Ryan Higgins opened the scoring with a ringing double over the head of Jacen Roberson to plate a pair. Josh Lauck and Nate Thimjon followed with two-run singles, before first-baseman Zach Morgan capped the frame's scoring with an RBI single to right. CSUB's Aaron Charles entered the game with two runners on, working a strikeout and a ground out to third to escape further damage.
 
Fourth Inning | Fresno State's Zach Presno homered for the second straight day, driving a 1-1 offering over the fence in left to make it 8-0.
 
Sixth Inning | Andrew Kachel stretched the Bulldog lead to 9-0, when he belted the second pitch of the inning high over the right field fence.
 
Seventh Inning | Evan Berkey and Angel Saldivar opened the top of the seventh with singles, and Aaron Casillas followed with a ground ball to third that was thrown down the line in right scoring Berkey. Saldivar scored on an RBI ground out from pinch hitter James Terrazas to pull CSUB within 9-2.
 
Ninth Inning | Sophomore Konner Kinkade was hit by a pitch to open the ninth, and three-consecutive singles off the bats of CJ Rivers, Nick Grossman and Eric Charles chased him home. Rivers followed through the back door on a 6-3 double play of the bat of Nick Salas, before Jacen Roberson connected for the first home run of his career to make it 9-6.
 
NOTABLE
 
• Senior Evan Berkey made the first outfield start of his Roadrunner career, making an immediate impact with a diving play on the warning track to steal a hit from Fresno State's Zach Presno in the first.
• Freshman second-baseman Nick Salas became the third Bakersfield batter this weekend to collect his first career hit, all on singles. Classmate Jashia Morrissey and junior Evan Ianniciello each posted their first career hit on opening night.
• Tyler Jorgensen, whose 15-game, on-base streak was snapped on Friday, singled in his first at bat, finishing 2-for-4.
• Jacen Roberson's home run was the first of his CSUB career.
• Nick Grossman singled off the bench in the ninth, and has a team-best, seven-game hitting streak dating back to March 2, 2020.
 

QUOTABLE

Head Coach Jeremy Beard on the `Runners bounce back effort in game two...
"We played a quality baseball game today. We hit a lot of balls hard early that didn't fall for us, but we stayed with it throughout the ballgame and saw some growth today. Our players responded well after yesterday's loss and we won many aspects of the day. We'll get back after it tomorrow."

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