BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The CSU Bakersfield baseball team used a five-run fourth inning to lift the Roadrunners to an 11-5 victory over Northern Kentucky University in the series finale on Sunday at Hardt Field in nonconference action.
 
Jordie Hein led the way for CSU Bakersfield (3-4), going 3-for-5 from the plate with an RBI, while Joey Sanchez finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs and one run scored.  Mylz Jones went 2-for-5 for the and scored two times for the Roadrunners.
 
Nick Rogowski (1-1) earned his first victory of the season on the mound after allowing five earned runs, including four in the first two innings, on 10 hits over seven innings of work.  He walked three batters and struck out two, while Max Carter pitched two innings of one-hit relief for CSU Bakersfield.
 
Quint Heady sparked a first-inning offensive outbreak for NKU (2-5) with a lead-off triple to right field, and he scored as Cody Kuzniczci grounded out for a 1-0 Norse lead.  Trey Ganns continued his impressive weekend with a 1-0 blast up the middle and went to second on a Rogowski balk.  
 
Logan Spurlin then walked on four  straight pitches before a Conor Ledger infield single brought Ganns home for the second NKU run of the game.  Ryan LeFevers followed with a single through the left side, and Spurlin scored on the play to put the Norse ahead, 3-0.
 
Tyler Miller retired CSU Bakersfield in order in the bottom of the frame before NKU added a run to its total in the second.  Brad Bohlen started the inning with a single down the left-field line and advanced to third on a Cole Bauml double down the right-field line.  Kuzniczci recorded his second ground-out RBI, bringing home Bohlen for a 4-0 Norse advantage.
 
Miller retired eight straight Roadrunners, including four strikeouts, before allowing his first baserunner of the game, walking Garrett Pierce in the third inning.  Pierce moved to second on a balk and scored when Hein singled up the middle to cut the NKU lead to 4-1.
 
The Roadrunners stormed back in the fourth with their five-run outburst.  Jones led off the frame with a single down the right-field line, and Soloman Williams drew a walk before Miller struck out Chance Gusbeth for the first out of the inning.
 
Cody Cooper took over on the mound for the Norse and proceeded to hit Ryan Grotjohn with a 2-2 pitch to load the bases.  A Cooper balk advanced each baserunner and allowed Jones to score, and Logan Trowbridge was walked to reload the bases.  Joey Sanchez pinch hit for Nick Vehlewald and made an immediate impact, driving in Williams and Grotjohn with a single up the middle to tie the game at 4-all.
 
Pierce then reached base on a fielding error by Kyle Colletta and CSU Bakersfield took the lead on the play as Trowbridge scored.  Alex Bolia came out of the bullpen to replace Cooper, and Hein followed with an infield single before everyone advanced an extra base on a Heady throwing error, including Sanchez, who stretched the Roadrunners advantage to 6-4.
 
CSU Bakersfield added three runs to its total in the bottom of the fifth before NKU plated an additional run in the top of the sixth inning.  LeFevers set up the scoring play when he singled to center field, moved to second on the game's fourth balk and went to third on a ground out by Colletta.  A Bohlen sacrifice fly allowed LeFevers to come home to bring the Norse to within 9-5.
 
Ganns finished 3-for-5 from the plate with one run scored to lead the Norse, while Ryan LeFevers went 2-for-4 with one run scored and one RBI.  Bauml also posted a two-hit game, including his 10th double of the season for NKU, which finished with 11 hits in the series finale. 
 
Miller struck out five batters, walked two and surrendered three earned runs on two hits over 3.1 innings of work in his first start of the season.  Cooper (0-1) took the loss for NKU, giving up three runs, two earned, on one hit.
 
NKU will travel to Clarksville, Tennessee, to participate in the three-day Governors Classic next weekend.  The Norse will face host Austin Peay on Friday at 4 p.m. before taking on Western Michigan the next day at 3:30 p.m.  NKU will conclude the event with a 3:30 p.m. contest against regional foe Dayton.  Links to live stats and John Asalon's will be available at NKUNorse.com.