STOCKTON, Calif. – Returning home for the first time in three weeks, the Tigers dropped the opening game of a three-game series with CSU Bakersfield, 8-5, on Friday evening at Klein Family Field.  The RoadRunners tallied two home runs in the third inning to jump on the Tigers early and held off a valiant comeback effort from Pacific to secure the first win of the series. 

Thomas Gavello hit his team-leading fourth home run and drove in two runs. James Arakawa drove in two runs with a double to lead the Tigers. Colby Canales had two hits for the Tigers including with a double. Behind the plate, Jeremy Lea threw out all three CSU Bakersfield runners that attempted to steal. He has now caught six of 11 runners this season. 

Elijah Birdsong started the game and pitched three innings with four strikeouts and only three hits. Reliever Nick Swanson allowed only two hits in two innings pitched. Michael Defelippi struck out three RoadRunners in 1.2 innings pitched. Dylan Pottgieser struck out two in 1.1 innings pitched. 

Bakersfield got out to an early lead with a three-run home run to center field followed by an opposite-field solo shot to take a 4-0 lead. Unearned runs in the fourth and fifth innings gave the RoadRunners a 6-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth. 

James McClenaghan got the Tigers on the board with a bunt single which forced a throwing error by the pitcher to bring in a run. Arakawa followed it up with a two-RBI double to cut the RoadRunner lead to three as the score stood 6-3 after five. 

CSU Bakersfield added two more runs in the seventh with a bases-loaded double to extend its lead to 8-3. Gavello homered in the ninth as the Tigers attempted to rally, but the five-run deficit proved too much as the Tigers fell in game one, 8-5. 

The Tigers will be back in action tomorrow against CSU Bakersfield with the first pitch at 2 p.m.