Sports Editor
The CSU Bakersfield baseball team completed a four-game sweep of the University of Portland with a 7-5 come-from-behind win on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Hardt Field.
“It’s a really difficult thing at this level to sweep a team in three games, let alone four,” said coach Jeremy Beard. “Even when things don’t go so well, this team seems to bounce back.”
The Roadrunners have now won five straight games.
Trailing 5-4 entering the bottom of the eighth, senior David Metzgar led off the inning with a double. Senior Max Carter would follow with a single to put runners on the corners with no outs. Two batters later, senior Ryan Grotjohn hit a sacrifice fly to tie the score.
After a wild pitch advanced Carter to second base, he would be pinch ran for by freshman Ryan Kono. A single to right by sophomore Jake Ortega scored Kono from second on a close play at the plate and gave the Roadrunners a 6-5 lead.
“Just because the other team scores late, we’re not going to fall down, we can just bounce right back,” said Metzgar. “This is a strong team; I feel really good about our defense and our lineup.”
Portland head coach Geoff Loomis was ejected for arguing with the home plate umpire about the call of the play at the plate.
A bloop double by junior Brandon Heinrich to follow would score Ortega to cap the scoring.
The Roadrunners fell behind 3-0 in the top of the first inning. All three runs were unearned.
CSUB bounced back with four runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. A double by Metzgar scored redshirt-junior Mark Pena who led off the game with a walk. Carter followed with a single to drive in Metzgar. Two batters later, Grotjohn reached with a single of his own and senior Junior Felix would drive in two with a double down the left field line.
Senior pitcher Garrett Nimmo recovered after a rough first inning to hold Portland scoreless for the next four innings.
However, in the top of the sixth, Nimmo allowed another unearned run to score to tie the game at four. He would be lifted in favor of freshman Mathew Seibert.
Nimmo finshed with three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings pitched. All four runs that he allowed were unearned. He also gave up seven hits and walked three.
Seibert allowed a run to score in the top the eighth to give the Pilots the lead, 5-4. He would then be replaced by junior Naithen Dewsnap. Dewsnap escaped from the jam with a strikeout to keep the deficit at one run.
Over the course of the four games, CSUB pitching recorded 38 strikeouts.
“We’re executing our pitches, great pitch calling by the coaches, great frame jobs by the catchers,” said Dewsnap. “It was all just a team effort.”
Dewsnap picked up his second win in relief this season on Saturday. He has two saves on the year, as well.
The Roadrunners are scheduled to continue their home stand next Thursday as they begin a three-game series against Brigham Young University. First pitch for Thursday’s game will be at 6 p.m. at Hardt Field.
