The WSU baseball team rallied in the ninth inning to beat the California State University, Bakersfield Roadrunners 5-2 at Hardt Field for its first opening game win since 2011, which was also against Roadrunners.

Junior second baseman Garrett Gouldsmith and redshirt sophomore catcher Jake Meyer hit a pair of RBIs with two outs in the ninth inning that broke the 2-2 tie.  

Starting sophomore pitcher Brandon White struck out seven and allowed two earned runs in 3.2 innings pitched. Sophomore pitcher Zane Mills came in for relief and pitched a career high eight strikeouts in 4.1 innings and earning the win as well. Senior pitcher Owen Leonard closed the game for the Cougars and earned his first career save.

CSUB’s Jacen Roberson, redshirt freshman center fielder, started the bottom of the first with a leadoff triple and scored a run. The Cougars held the Roadrunners to one run and ended the inning on a strikeout leaving the bases loaded.

In the third inning, junior third baseman Jack Smith hit a two-out double that scored two runs for the Cougars.

The Roadrunners added a run in the fourth and almost added another before Mills struck out senior first baseman Tyler Jorgensen with the bases loaded.

Mills continued to pitch well striking out the side in the fifth and followed that with three scoreless innings.

Leonard started the ninth inning with a flyout to left field and then allowed a single. However, the Cougars ended the game with a 5-4-3 double play.