Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

California State University at Bakersfield Athletics

Next Event

Mark Nessia/Mark Nessia Photography
2
Winner CSU Bakersfield CSUB 21-35
0
Northern Colorado NC 29-24
Winner
CSU Bakersfield CSUB
21-35
2
Final
0
Northern Colorado NC
29-24
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 10 1
Northern Colorado NC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0

W: Butler, Davonté (4-7) L: Lum, Keenan (3-3) S: Dewsnap, Naithen (6)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Butler, Dewsnap Shutout Northern Colorado

MESA, Ariz. – Freshman Davonte Butler and senior Naithen Dewsnap combined to shutout the University of Northern Colorado on Thursday afternoon as the CSU Bakersfield baseball team claimed a 2-0 victory over the Bears to advance in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament. 

CSUB (21-35) needed a victory to extend its season and the freshman delivered when the Roadrunners needed him most.  Butler (4-7) was outstanding in first postseason start.  The freshman picked up his fourth win of the season after he tossed seven shutout innings and struck out six Northern Colorado batters. 
 
"Davonte did a great job today and showed a veteran presence as a freshman," said head coach Jeremy Beard.  "He was very competitive in the zone and attacked it really well.  The big thing for him today was controlling his emotions and getting ahead early in the counts."

Earlier this season, Butler tossed seven innings against the Bears, but gave up four runs and eight hits.  Today, he allowed just one walk and four hits while throwing 64 strikes in 96 pitches. 
"To me, it was just another game," said Butler.  "We just have to keep playing our best baseball and it's going to be a fun tournament."
 
With Butler's pitch count nearing triple digits and facing the top of the Bear lineup in the eighth, Coach Beard called on CSUB's all-time leader in saves, Naithen Dewsnap, to finish it off.  Dewsnap allowed a pair of weak singles to the first two batters, but did not lose his composure. 

"It wasn't very solid contact, so I knew if I stuck to what I was doing that eventually they'd get themselves out and our defense behind me would be able to pick me up," said Dewnsap.

After a sacrifice bunt moved runners to second and third with one out, the senior closer got a strikeout and a groundout to second base to end the inning.  In the ninth, the leadoff man reached on an error, but Dewsnap got the next two batters out in succession.  A two-out single put the tying run on base, but Dewsnap got another groundout to Evan Berkey at second to end the game for his sixth save of the season. 
 
CSUB got on the board early against Northern Colorado starter Keenan Lum (3-3).  Back-to-back two-out doubles by Andrew Penner and Luis Martinez in the first inning spotted the `Runners an early 1-0 lead.  The Roadrunners increased their lead in the fifth as Noah Barba blooped a double to left center that scored Jake Ortega.
 
Penner, Martinez and Berkey all had a pair of hits for CSUB.  As a team, the `Runners did not strikeout for the first time since March 29, 2015 against Utah Valley University. It was the second shutout of the season for CSUB.  Earlier this season, the Roadrunners blanked No. 23 UNLV 4-0.  

The `Runners will be back in action tomorrow morning at 11:00 a.m. and the opponent has yet to be determined.  If CSUB wins its first game tomorrow, they will turn around and play again at 3:00 p.m. 

"We're looking forward to playing the role that we are in right now and playing teams coming off of a loss," said Beard.  "We're going to work really hard to battle back through that loser's bracket.  Our guys will be mentally prepared to play a doubleheader tomorrow."
 
 
 
Print Friendly Version
California State University at Bakersfield Athletics loading logo