LONG BEACH, Calif. — The CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners delivered one of their most thrilling performances of the season Sunday afternoon, storming back from a six-run deficit to defeat Long Beach State 12–6 at Bohl Diamond at Blair Field. The dramatic victory keeps the Roadrunners firmly in the hunt for a spot in the Big West Championship tournament.

Things didn’t start well for CSUB. Long Beach State built a 6–0 lead by the end of the fourth inning, capitalizing on RBI hits from Conner Stewart, Nathan Cadena, and Trotter Enright. With the home crowd behind them and momentum on their side, the Dirtbags looked poised to cruise to another conference win.

Then the fifth inning happened.

The Roadrunners erupted for seven runs in the top of the fifth, flipping the game on its head in a matter of minutes.

Evan Cloyd sparked the rally with a two-RBI double to left. Tyler Leroy followed with a clutch two-run single down the right field line.A steal led to Noah Alvarez stealing home. Then, back-to-back throwing errors from Long Beach allowed two more runs to score—both unearned.

In less than half an inning, CSUB had turned a 6–0 hole into a 7–6 lead.

The Bakersfield bullpen kept the momentum going. After starter Jacob Gutierrez gave up six runs over 3.1 innings, Kanoa Morisaki, CJ Brown, and Dante Jackson held the line. Michael Riley then entered in the sixth and delivered a masterclass in relief, tossing 3.1 shutout innings to earn his fifth save of the year.

CSUB didn’t stop there. They added two more runs in the sixth, two in the seventh, and one in the ninth to put the game out of reach.

Player Highlights

Evan Cloyd: 2-for-5, 2 doubles, 3 RBIs

Tyler Leroy: 3-for-5, 2 RBIs, 1 stolen base

Michael Riley: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K – Save No. 5