Three Seattle University pitchers combined for a six-hit shutout, and the Redhawks picked up timely hits along the way as they defeated the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners, 4-0, Sunday afternoon in a Western Athletic Conference collegiate baseball game at Hardt Field.
After a quiet first two innings, Seattle U scored in the top of the third inning as Colin Peterson (Bellingham, Wash.) led off with a walk, advanced to third on a single by Grant Newton (Bend, Ore.), and scored on a single to right-center field by Griffin Andreychuk (Nanaimo, B.C.).
With two runners on and one out in the fourth inning, Sean Sutton (Coeur d’Alene, Idaho) sent a single through the right side of the infield that scored Brian Olson (Black Diamond, Wash.) and advanced Dalton Hurd (Bend, Ore.) to third base. Peterson followed with a single to right field that drove in Hurd and increased the Redhawk lead to 3-0.
Seattle U starter Tarik Skubal (Kingman, Ariz.) allowed just one baserunner through the first three innings before walking David Metzgar in the fourth inning, followed by a single by Max Carter and Soloman Williams being hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs. Skubal induced a comebacker to keep the Roadrunners off the scoreboard.
The Redhawks had a chance to increase their lead further in the top of the fifth inning, as Andreychuk and Olson drew walks sandwiched around Landon Cray (Black Diamond, Wash.) reaching base on a Roadrunner error. However, Bakersfield starter Nick Rogowski picked up a strikeout and a flyout to end the Redhawk scoring threat.
Andreychuk drew another walk to lead off the seventh inning, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Cray, hustled to third on a groundout hit by Sheldon Stober (Kent, Wash.), and scored when Olson’s sharp grounder landed just out of reach of the Bakersfield shortstop for a single.
Skubal pitched six innings, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out eight batters, tying his season high. He threw 94 pitches, 58 of them for strikes. Grant Gunning (Snohomish, Wash.) retired the first two batters of the seventh inning before giving way to Garrett Anderson (Kennewick, Wash.), who pitched the final 2 1/3 innings for the Redhawks, giving up three hits while picking up one strikeout.
"Tarik was huge for us today. We needed something special to get us out of this funk we have been on, and he and the rest of today's pitchers stepped up big time," Seattle U head coach Donny Harrel said.
Bakersfield (25-16-1, 12-5-1 WAC) received a complete game performance from Rogowski, who allowed eight hits, six walks, and four runs while striking out four batters as he threw 126 pitches, 72 of them for strikes. The Roadrunners stranded 10 runners on base, including six in scoring position.
Newton led the Redhawk offense with a 2-for-3 performance with a walk, while Andreychuk and Olson both reached base three times with one hit and two walks apiece. The victory snapped the Redhawks’ five-game losing streak and moved Seattle U back into second place in the WAC standings, a half-game behind Grand Canyon and a half-game ahead of Bakersfield.
Seattle University (22-21, 13-5 WAC) continues its stretch of seven straight road games next weekend with a three-game series at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Ariz., starting Friday, May 1, at 6:30 p.m.