Assistant Sports Editor
It has been over two weeks since the CSU Bakersfield softball team has seen a win. Its last win came against Grand Canyon University on March 31 in a 3-2 victory.
CSUB began Western Athletic Conference play with a series win over preseason favorites GCU (18-12, 3-5 WAC) and record of 2-1.
The Roadrunners have been swept the past two series at New Mexico State University (23-16, 8-1 WAC) and Seattle University (30-17, 8-1 WAC), the top two teams in the Western Athletic Conference.
In Las Cruces, New Mexico, the Roadrunners were shutout in two of their three games against the Aggies including a mercy rule game in which they lost 8-0 in five innings.
In the first game, the Roadrunners jumped to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning after junior Paige Johnson drove in senior Julea Cavazos and a double to left field by freshman Ariana Acedo scored senior Kaylynn Burt.
The early lead did not last as a home run to right field by the Aggies drove in two runs and tied the game at 2-2.
Another home run in the bottom of the third inning by NMSU drove in another two runs and that would be it for scoring as the Aggies defeated the Roadrunners, 4-2.
In the first game of a double header on April 7, CSUB lost in five innings. NMSU scored six runs in the bottom of the third inning.
The first two runs in the inning came after two wild pitches by freshman Daryn Hitzel. A double and home run scored four more runs, expanding the lead to 7-0.
Another home run in the bottom of the fourth inning for the Aggies sealed the deal, beating the Roadrunners, 8-0.
The series finale was once again another shutout as NMSU took a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom in the first. New Mexico State added one more run in the second and two in the third to take a 5-0 victory over CSUB and the series sweep.
In its series against the Redhawks, CSUB began with an extra inning affair that ended in a very controversial call at home plate to end the game.
Seattle U began the scoring in the first with a run and added one run in the second and third inning.
The Roadrunners took the lead after the first inning. An error by the Redhawks drove in Cavazos and Burt giving CSUB a 2-1 lead after the first inning.
Going into the sixth inning down by one, a walk for sophomore Joceyln Betancourt started the inning. Junior Halle Neher came in to pinch run for Betancourt. A single by Cavazos drove in Neher after a Wiseman 15 pitch walk, tying the game at 3-3 after six innings.
With Seattle University up 4-3 in the bottom of the tenth inning, sophomore Karah Wiseman hit the ball to the shortstop, which the shortstop commited an error. Johnson rounded third and was thrown out at home plate.
Home plate umpire Fred Barker made an initial motion of safe but immediately changed it to out and the Roadrunners fell, 4-3.
Burt added to her career total of stolen bases as she stole one base in game one of the series making her total now 34 and is currently CSUB’s division one record holder for career-stolen bases.
“I thought we fought really well, we kept coming back and had the runner in scoring position,” said Head Coach Crissy Buck-Ziegler to gorunners.com.
The second game of the double header on Friday, April 13 was another shutout loss for the Roadrunners.
The Redhawks scored five runs in the middle innings and one in the top of the seventh to take a 6-0 victory and a series win. CSUB was held to 4 hits by the Seattle U starter.
In the final game, the Roadrunners jump to an early 1-0 lead after a single by Johnson drove in Burt.
The defense came out strong in the first inning with a diving stop by Johnson at third base and diving catch in left field by Burt.
CSUB committed four errors, which cost it four unearned runs in the game.
“We played selfish defense,” said Buck-Ziegler after the loss.
A pinch hit single by junior Evelyn Mendoza in the bottom of the fifth inning drove in Arianna Felix to close the lead to, 5-2.
Seattle U piled on seven runs in the game and defeated the Roadrunners, 7-2, completing the series sweep.
CSUB (5-31, 2-7 WAC) is currently on a six-game losing streak and will look to get back into the win column against the University of Missouri-Kansas City (10-31, 0-9 WAC).
“Keeping it simple, keep it black and white,” said Burt on getting back into the win column.
The Roadrunners return home April 27 for its final homestand of the season against Utah Valley University (13-22, 5-3 WAC).
Photo by Aaron Mills/ The Runner
