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JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Hawaii infielder Tyler Best beats the throw to Cal State Bakersfield catcher Jake Ortega at home plate during the third inning.
CSU Bakersfield reliever Graham Kuck held Hawaii without a run over the final 2 2/3 innings to preserve the Roadrunners’ 5-4 victory over Hawaii tonight at Les Murakami Stadium.
Evan Berkey hit a two-run single in the third inning and catcher Jake Ortega beat out an infield single with two outs in the seventh inning that allowed the eventual winning run to score for Bakersfield (11-10), which has won nine of 11.
Starter Dominic DeMiero (1-1) last just 2 2/3 innings and took the loss for Hawaii (9-10), which had the tying run on second and nobody out in the bottom of the seventh.
Daylen Calicdan singled home a run to make it 5-3 and took second on a Bakersfield error as the tying run.
Brennen Hancock, who reached on a walk, scored on a sacrifice fly to left and Calicdan took third aggressively tagging up to put the tying run 90 feet away.
Kuck replaced starter Ethan Sakuija, who allowed four hits in 6 1/3 innings, and got a strikeout and groundout to strand Calicdan at third.
Brennen Hancock drew a one-out walk in the ninth and Tyler Best reached on a two-out error to put the tying run on third. Kuck then got pinch hitter Max Crabbe to ground out to third to end it.
Hawaii will go for a series split in the finale on Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
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