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California State University at Bakersfield Athletics

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Nick Grossman
5
Winner UC Riverside UCR 3-6, 1-1 Big West
4
CSUB CSUB 4-5, 1-1 Big West
Winner
UC Riverside UCR
3-6, 1-1 Big West
5
Final
4
CSUB CSUB
4-5, 1-1 Big West
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
UC Riverside UCR 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 1 5 9 1
CSUB CSUB 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 8 0

W: Riley Ohl (1-0) L: Cordova, Noah (0-1)

1
UC Riverside UCR 3-7, 1-2 Big West
7
Winner CSUB CSUB 5-5, 2-1 Big West
UC Riverside UCR
3-7, 1-2 Big West
1
Final
7
CSUB CSUB
5-5, 2-1 Big West
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
UC Riverside UCR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 5 1
CSUB CSUB 1 0 0 1 5 0 0 0 X 7 12 0

W: Joven, Art (1-1) L: Jake Lachemann (0-3) S: Skuija, Ethan (1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Grossman Grand Slam Lifts `Runners to Double Header Split with UC Riverside

Bakersfield, Calif. – Nick Grossman finished 2-for-4 with a grand slam home run and five RBI, and pitchers Art Joven and Ethan Skuija combined on a five-hitter, as CSU Bakersfield beat UC Riverside, 7-1, in the nightcap to split a Big West double header, Saturday.

Nick Salas, Jashia Morrissey and Tyler Jorgensen also had two hits in the win. Jorgensen had four hits in eight at bats on the day.

The Roadrunners scored single runs in the first and the fourth innings, but we're struggled to string hits together against Riverside starter Jake Lachemann until the fifth.

Jorgensen singled to center to make it 3-0, and Angel Saldivar worked a one-out walk to chase Lachemann.

Grossman belted the second pitch he saw from Highlander reliever Connor Martin high over the right-field fence to put the game out of reach.

UCR got one back in the ninth, but that was all Skuija would allow, working 3.2 innings and striking out four to pick up the save.

Joven lasted 5.2 scoreless innings, fanning 11 Highlanders and giving up just three hits.

The Highlanders won game one with a ninth inning rally, 5-4.

Ethan Berkey was 2-for-3 in the opener, scoring once and driving in a pair in support of starter Aaron Charles. Charles threw six innings, scattering six hits and striking out three settling for a no decision.

Roman Angelo will start Sunday's series finale, against UCR's Abbott Haffar, as Bakersfield goes for the series win at Hardt Field, beginning at 1:00 PM.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED, GAME ONE…
* Berkey beat out an infield single, stole second and scored on Jacen Roberson's long sacrifice fly to center field to give CSUB an early 1-0 lead.
* Berkey singled again in the second, this time driving in Eric Charles and Daniel Carrizosa to make it 3-0.  
* UCR broke through in the fourth when first-baseman Joey Nicolai roped a double off the wall down the right field line to score Dylan Orick and Nathan Webb.
* Riverside scored twice in the eighth. Colton Pofek's two-out triple scored Taylor Juline to tie the game, and two batters later UCR executed a first-and-third play for its first lead of the game.
* CSUB tied the game at four in the bottom of the inning, after Roberson reached on a one out error, advanced to third on a Jorgensen single, and eventually scored when freshman Kyle Barileau chopped a ground ball to second base.
* Two singles and a hit batter put the Highlanders back on top in the ninth. Catcher Eli Payne's single to RF scored Orick with the winning run.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED, GAME TWO…
* Nick Salas led off game two with an opposite-field double down the line in right. Jashia Morrissey moved him to third with a productive ground out, and Roberson followed with a first-pitch, RBI single up the middle and into center field.  
* Joven was dominant in the early going, striking out the side in the fourth inning. He finished with seven strikeouts on the day
* Bakersfield increased its lead to 2-0 in the fourth, when Jorgensen singled to center and scored on Grossman's seeing-eye bouncer through the right side.
* The `Runners broke the game open with one down in the fifth. Jorgensen made it 3-0 with an RBI single through the left-side that scored Morrissey from third. Two batters later, Grossman connected for his first home run of the season, a grand slam that made it 7-0.
* UCR threatened in the top of the sixth, loading the bases with no outs on a pair of walks and a bloop single down the line in left. Joven struck out the fourth hitter of the inning, before giving way to Skuija. The big right-hander from Victoria, B.C., fanned the first batter he faced before getting Dylan Orick to roll over a ground ball to second and end the inning.
* The Highlanders avoided the shutout on Orick's ninth inning RBI single.
* Skuija would finish out the game, tossing 3.2 innings and picking up the save, while striking out four and allowing just two hits.
 
NOTABLE…
* Grossman's homer was the second of his CSUB career, both coming with the bases loaded. Grossman also connected on a grand slam home run in a 5-4 win over Fairleigh Dickenson on Mar. 10, 2019.
* Jorgensen had four hits in the double header, moving him with four of 100 for his CSUB career. The Roadrunner senior also drove in his 48th run in the second game and needs just two RBI to reach 50.
* Skuija retired the first eight batters he faced, touching as high as 96 mph on the Hardt Field radar gun.
* Starters Charles & Joven combined to throw 11.1 innings, allowing only nine hits and two earned runs, while posting ten strikeouts.
* Six `Runners have homered through ten games in 2021. CSUB only hit two home runs in 14 games last season, both by outfielder Damian Henderson.    
 
QUOTABLE…
Head Coach Jeremy Beard
On proving the team can compete in the Big West Conference…
"It's baseball no matter where you're playing and no matter who you're playing against, but there's no question we're here to try to win this thing. We have to keep our eye on the ball, but our kids are excited to come out tomorrow and try to win a series. That's our goal each week; win the series."
 
Starting Pitcher Art Joven
On his outing…
"I had a good feel for my change-up today, and my breaking stuff was popping. I felt good and it was nice to bounce back and compete with the guys. I had to battle a bit, and momentum was on their side there at the end, but I got that last strike out and then (Skuija) came in and did the job."

Outfielder Nick Grossman
On his grand slam home run…
"It's a comfortable position to be in, hitting with runners on second and third - guys in scoring position. You're just looking to hit a sac fly and if you catch enough of one it can carry, especially out to right for lefties. It was a good feeling."
 
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