BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Utah Valley University dropped its second straight to CSU Bakersfield, falling 9-5 on Friday night at Hardt Field. The win clinches the WAC series for the Roadrunners, who got a 4-for-4 night from Ryan Grotjohn.
 
Trevor Howell had three hits to lead the Wolverines (11-22, 4-4) while Zac Willis had a pair of RBIs and Trevor Peterson scored two runs. Grotjohn, who leads the WAC and is third in the country in batting, also had three RBIs for CSUB (18-12, 5-6) while Mahlik Jones was 3-for-4 with four batted in.
 
The Roadrunners took an early lead, scoring in the first inning for the second straight night. With the bases full and one down, Grotjohn blooped a single down the line in left to score the first run and Jones followed with an RBI single to right.
 
In the third, Utah Valley took advantage of an error to extend the inning, allowing Jackson Overlund to drive in Trevor Howell for the Wolverines' first run of the series. Trevor Peterson scored two pitches later on a passed ball, tying the game at 2-2.
  
In the fifth, CSU Bakersfield had its first two runners reach, but UVU starter Jake Mayer got the next two batters and was on the verge of getting out of the inning. The 'Runners would get a trio of two-out hits though, to plate four runs, with Grotjohn and Jones both adding RBI singles before Jake Ortega tripled them both home to cap a four-run inning and give CSUB a 6-2 lead.
 
Utah Valley got two of those runs back in the top of the sixth. Peterson led off with a double and moved to third on a Willis single with one out. Jake Berry drove in Peterson on a grounder to short and reached on an error, putting runners at first and second. Paul Estrada drove in the second run with a two-out base hit to center, scoring Willis.
 
The Wolverines threatened to tie or even take the lead in the seventh, getting back-to-back singles from David Modler and Howell to begin the inning and, later, a one-out walk to Overlund to load the bases. Willis walked on five pitches to force in a run and make it 6-5, but a 6-4-3 double play ended the inning and left the tying run at third.
 
CSU Bakersfield pushed the lead back to four runs in the bottom of the seventh, scoring three times. Grotjohn collected his fourth hit of the game with an RBI single and Jones tripled to right to drive in two more for the final 9-5 tally. 
 
Jake Mayer (2-7) took the loss for Utah Valley while Andrew Hansen (3-0) lasted into the sixth and got the win. The Wolverines will look to avoid the series sweep in Saturday's series finale, starting a noon PT/1 p.m. MT.