Editor-in-Chief

After dropping the opener of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament last night, the CSU Bakersfield baseball team avoided elimination with a 2-0 win over the University of Northern Colorado on Thursday.

CSUB freshman Davonte Butler fired seven shutout innings and earned the win. He allowed four hits, one walk and hit a batter while striking out six.

Butler escaped a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the bottom of the third unscathed, as he improved his record to 4-7 on the season.

CSUB knocked out 10 hits in the win.

The Roadrunners got on the board early with a run scoring double by redshirt-senior Luis Martinez in the top of the first.

CSUB added another run in the fifth when junior Noah Barba doubled home junior Jake Ortega to pad the lead. It was Barba’s second double of the tournament.

Leading 2-0 in the bottom of the eighth, CSUB head coach Jeremy Beard turned to senior Naithen Dewsnap to shut the door.

Dewsnap allowed two consecutive singles to begin the eighth. After a sacrifice bunt moved the baserunners up to second and third, he retired the next two batters with a strikeout and a groundout to preserve the shutout.

In the bottom of the ninth, the leadoff man reached after an error by senior first baseman Andrew Penner. Dewsnap retired the next two hitters before allowing a single which put men on first and second.

UNC redshirt-senior Austin Miller grounded out on the very next pitch to end the game.

Dewsnap earned the save, his sixth of the year.

Penner, Martinez and freshman Evan Berkey each had two hits on the day.

Up next, the Roadrunners will play tomorrow at 11 a.m. against second-seeded Sacramento State.