Posted: Mar 03, 2019
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Ryan Koch hit a two-RBI double in the bottom of the seventh to break a 2-all tie to help Cal State Bakersfield to a 4-2 win over Santa Clara baseball on Sunday. The win gave the Roadrunners the series win as it won the last three of the four-game series.
In the seventh, CSUB (5-8) put two runners on with one out against Broncos reliever Holden Bernhardt. Noah Barba (1-for-4, R) singled and Evan Berkey (1-for-2, R, RBI) drew a walk before Santa Clara head coach Rusty Filter went to the bullpen to bring in Eric Lex. The fifth-year senior struck out Jesse Rowley (0-for-4) for the second out but gave up a double to the cleanup hitter Koch that brought home both Barba and Berkey to give the Roadrunners a 4-2 lead.
The game was scoreless through four and a half innings until Berkey's RBI single which scored Tyler Jorgensen.
But Santa Clara (3-8) answered right back in the top of the sixth on Ryan McCarthy's (1-for-4, R, RBI) double to right center that scored Jason Dicochea (1-for-3, R) from first. Tony Boetto (3-for-4, RBI) followed up with an RBI single to left field to give the Broncos a 2-1 lead.
The Roadrunners tied it up in the home half of the sixth when Koch led off the inning with a double off Locke Bernhardt. The Bronco right-hander retired the next two batters before his twin brother, Holden, a left-hander, came in to face the left-handed hitting Damian Henderson.
CSUB manager Jeremy Beard elected to bring in a right-handed hitting pinch hitter Cole Valletta, who doubled home Koch to knot the game at 2-2.
Holden Bernhardt (0-1) was handed the loss for the Broncos and Davonte Butler (1-2) who finished the game throwing 3 1/3 scoreless innings earned the win.
NOTES
-Transfer Matthew McGarry made his first start as a Bronco throwing three scoreless innings.
-Freshman Ryan Jeffries started at first base and had his first career multi-hit game with a pair of singles.
NEXT UP
The Broncos travel to UC Davis on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.