BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – An unearned run in the bottom of the sixth proved to be the difference, as CSU Bakersfield went on to earn a 7-6 victory over Utah Valley in the series finale in WAC baseball on Sunday afternoon in Bakersfield.
 
After UVU (11-32, 7-11 WAC) claimed the opener on Friday, CSUB (19-27 , 7-11 WAC) responded with a walk-off win on Saturday followed by a tightly contested 7-6 victory on Sunday to take the WAC series over the Wolverines. 
 
With CSUB holding to an early 4-0 advantage, the Wolverine offense got things going with two runs in the fourth to make it a 4-2 game. After back-to-back singles from Mick Madsen and Kade Poulsen, Drew Sims drove them both home with a two-run triple to right center to cut the deficit in half. 
 
The Roadrunners got two runs back in the bottom of the fourth to extend their lead to 6-2, but UVU answered with a four-run fifth to deadlock the score at 6-6. With Michael Beltran and Ryan Eastburn on base and nobody out in the frame, Alexander Marco delivered a two-run double to left center to make it 6-4. The Wolverines then later loaded the bases and Sims and Kody Hall followed by drawing back-to-back RBI walks to tie the game. 
 
CSUB then pushed across the go-ahead run in the last of the sixth on an error to take a 7-6 lead.  The Wolverines looked to even the score in both the eighth and the ninth, but couldn't manage to push the tying run across. 
 
UVU got two on with one out in the eighth after singles from Beltran and Eastburn, but Bakersfield's Noah Cordova responded with a groundout and a strikeout to escape the jam. Still trailing 7-6 in the ninth, UVU got a leadoff single from Madsen and he was later moved into scoring position on a sac bunt from Poulsen. With one out and the tying runner leading from second, Skyler Davis then moved Madsen over to third with a groundout. Then with two away and Madsen standing on third base, CSUB's Cordova managed to record a game-ending strikeout to preserve the win for the 'Runners. 
 
CSUB's Cordova (1-4) earned the win on the mound in relief after pitching 4.2 innings of shutout relief while UVU reliever Travis Parker (0-1) was the tough-luck loser after giving up just one unearned run over 4.1 innings of solid relief. Parker gave up just one hit while striking out five and walking just one to give Utah Valley a chance in the late innings. 
 
The catcher Sims led the Wolverines at the plate in the game by going 1-for-2 with three RBIs and two walks. Madsen, Beltran and Eastburn all finished with multiple hits in the game for UVU and the freshman Madsen fronted the group by going 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Noah Barba paced the 'Runners with a 2-for-3 outing with two runs batted in. 
 
The Wolverines will next return to Southern California next weekend for a three-game WAC series at new WAC foe California Baptist. The series will run Friday to Sunday (May 3-5) at CBU's Totman Stadium in Riverside.