Riverside, Calif. – Down to their final strike, CSU Bakersfield rallied for four runs in the top of the ninth inning to come from behind and steal a 7-5 win over UC Riverside, Saturday night at the Riverside Sports Complex. Angel Saldivar's bases clearing double gave the Roadrunners their first and only lead of the night and clinched a Big West Conference series win over the Highlanders on the league's opening weekend.
"Tonight was a character building win for our team," said CSUB Head Coach Jeremy Beard. "Riverside got out of the gate with more energy, but our pitchers settled things down with a bunch of zeros and allowed us to hang around. We were patient and competitive at the plate, especially in the ninth inning and that was key."
Riverside scored in each of the first three innings, racing out to an early 4-0 lead, but relievers Jaykob Acosta and Cody Tucker allowed just a single earned run the rest of the way. Acosta finished with 5.0 innings pitched, scattering eight base runners and striking out five. Tucker earned his first win of the season with 2.1 scoreless innings and a pair of strikeouts.
Riverside closer Corbin Barker struggled with command in the visitor half of the ninth inning, walking Jashia Morrissey to lead off the frame. Barker retired the next two Roadrunners before walking three more Bakersfield hitters and setting the stage for Saldivar's heroics.
"Once (Anderson-Vine) reached base, I knew I was going to get an opportunity to see a pitch to hit and I just stayed focused and looked for my opportunity to lift the team," Saldivar explained. "It took us a while to get going tonight, but as a team we're never going to go down without a fight. Regardless of the score, we're always all in."
CSUB improves to 7-10 overall and 2-0 in Big West play, while the Highlanders fell to 1-15 and 0-2.
HOW IT HAPPENED...
B1 | Three infield singles, a catcher's interference call and a base on balls delivered the first run of the ball game. Riverside center fielder Andrew Gamez, who singled to lead off the game scored on Sean McLeod's walk.
B2 | UCR second baseman Joey Niccolai doubled off the wall in left to score two runs and stretch the Highlander lead to 3-0.
B3 | Danny Carnazzo walked with two outs and scored on Marcellus Pearson's triple down the line in left give Riverside a 4-0 cushion.
T4 | Bakersfield finally got on the board in the fourth, scoring twice on consecutive two-out RBI singles from Jashia Morrissey and Nick Salas.
T6 | Morrissey picked up his second two-out RBI of the night with a run-scoring single to center field in the sixth, pulling CSUB within a run at 4-3.
B7 | Pinch hitter Taylor Juline provided some insurance for the Highlanders with an RBI single through the right side to make it 5-3. Shortstop Anthony Mata scored on the play after reaching via a hit by pitch.
T9 | Five walks, a run-scoring wild pitch and a bases clearing double from catcher Angel Saldivar led to four Bakersfield runs and a dramatic come from behind victory. Nick Salas scored on a pitch to the backstop to make it 5-4, before AJ Miller, Michael Pollard and Nic Anderson-Vine came around to score on Saldivar's double.
NOTABLE...
• Jashia Morrissey reached base in all four of his plate appearances, picking up his third multiple RBI game of the season and extending his current hitting streak to a season-high four games.
• Evan Rice was 1-for-4 with a walk and a single. The Blythe, Calif., native and Roadrunner leadoff man has reached base in all 14 games in which hes appeared this season.
• Angel Saldivar finished his night 2-for-5 with a double, a run scored and three RBI. Saldivar is hitting .360 in 25 at bats this season.
• Bakersfield won for the first time this season when trailing after eight innings, and for the second time in the team's last at bat. CSUB walked off Kansas State 4-3 on Feb. 26, in a game that was tied after eight complete.
• Four of UC Riverside's five runs scored were unearned and the fifth reached base via a hit batsman.
ON DECK...
Game three of this weekend's three-game series between Bakersfield and UC Riverside will be played Sunday afternoon at the Riverside Sports Complex, with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Adrian Santa Cruz will start for the Roadrunners, while UCR's starter is to be determined.
