COLLEGE ROUNDUP, Sept. 7-13: Memorable victories
Sep. 14—One victory can shape the course of a season, and a couple college teams are hoping they picked up such crucial wins this past week.
In the final leg of a brutal nine-game preseason road trip, one day after getting swept twice, the Cal State Bakersfield volleyball team beat West Virginia, an NCAA qualifier last year, 3-0 for its first-ever win over a Big 12 opponent.
A day earlier, CSUB stunned Northern Arizona with back-to-back second-half goals, including a 90th-minute winner from freshman Jette Zimmer, to claim three points at home when all seemed lost.
And while it wasn't a win, the Bakersfield College men's soccer team showed some serious defensive fortitude on the road to earn a point at Cerritos, one of the top programs in the state. The Renegades held the Falcons to a 0-0 draw despite facing 23 shots.
Here's more on how everything else went for the local colleges this week.
Bakersfield College
Cross-country: The men's and women's teams each finished second at a meet in Fresno last Saturday, with Francisco Felix leading the men (21:16 on a four-mile course) and Rain Gomez the women (19:53 in a 5K for fourth place overall). They will be back in action at the Cerritos Invitational on Saturday.
Football: BC fell to 1-1 on the season, taking a sloppy 30-20 loss on the road at rival El Camino. Jihad Marks (five catches, 122 yards, two touchdowns) and Jayden Smith (six catches, 95 yards) had strong performances in the passing game for the Renegades. A pair of fumbled handoffs late allowed the Warriors to seize control and boost their lead. Next on the schedule is a rare 4 p.m. game at Memorial Stadium against Golden West.
Men's soccer: Last September at Cerritos, the Renegades lost 4-1 to a Falcons team that wound up finishing No. 5 in the state rankings. This year, in the rain in Norwalk, BC improbably held firm for 90 minutes, even as Cerritos' Christian Perez had a shot hit the crossbar in the 44th and Victor Melendez had to deny Pablo Caparelli from close range at the end of the match. Then, on Tuesday, BC unleashed its offense, and particularly Angel Sandoval, who had a goal and an assist as the Renegades pulled away from West LA in the second half for a 3-1 victory. Now 2-2-2, BC hosts West Hills Lemoore Friday.
Volleyball: Playing at full strength again on Friday, the BC volleyball team got back on track by sweeping Reedley and Fullerton. Alexandra Johnson had a triple-double against Reedley with 12 aces, 12 kills and 10 digs. Kami Marion recorded a team-high 11 kills against Fullerton. The Renegades are now 3-3 and host Moorpark Friday.
Women's soccer: BC extended its surprising unbeaten run, albeit with somewhat more difficulty than in previous weeks. The Renegades took just six shots but made them count in a home win on Friday against College of the Sequoias, winning 3-0 with two goals from Denise Ortiz Perez and a goal and an assist by Karla Esqueda Cardona. Continuing its five-game homestand Tuesday against Allan Hancock, the team ran into a bit more trouble in what coach Edgar Linares characterized as a lower-energy performance, taking a quick lead on a Gissel Perez free kick but going on the defensive for an hour until Cynthia Ramirez equalized to set the final score at 1-1. BC will host Cuesta Tuesday.
Wrestling: BC is back in action and off to a strong start on the mat, winning a road dual at Victor Valley 27-12 on Sept. 7, then picking up two more wins at home Saturday against Moorpark (49-3) and Cerritos (27-21). The Renegades had to rally late against the Falcons, picking up a pin by Luke Combs at 174 and decisions from Armando Medrano at 197 and Corbin Hayes at 285. Next up, BC competes in a tournament in Sacramento Saturday.
Miscellaneous and looking ahead: Former BC basketball player Jorden Andrews signed with Northland College ... the Renegade women's golf team had its first conference competition in Santa Barbara and came in third place overall with three top-10 finishers.
Cal State Bakersfield
Men's soccer: The Roadrunners continued their mercurial start to the season, losing at home to Utah Tech before earning a 0-0 road draw at Cal Baptist to bring their record to 2-3-1. CSUB had just four combined shots on goal between the two games, while Filippo Dadone remained steady in the Roadrunners' goal throughout. The team has two more matches before its Big West Conference opener and will host San Francisco Saturday.
Volleyball: The weekend didn't start well for the Roadrunners in Vermillion, S.D., with a pair of 3-0 losses to strong South Dakota and Northern Colorado teams. But in the last of its nine preseason road games, CSUB put on a command performance, sweeping West Virginia 25-22, 25-22, 25-20 behind 12 kills from Hayley McCluskey, 10 from Lizzie Binder and a CSUB-record eight blocks by Sophia Bertotti Metoyer. The win boosted the Roadrunners to 3-6 entering a home tournament that begins Friday.
Women's soccer: CSUB was at risk of losing its fifth straight game, trailing 1-0 to Northern Arizona in the second half, before Kalea Eichenberger and Zimmer each scored their first career goal, Zimmer's set up by a last-second run from Karen Flores, to give the Roadrunners a 2-1 win on Friday. They lost 5-1 to Boise State on Sunday, though, to fall back to 2-5, and open Big West play against CSUN Thursday.
Miscellaneous and looking ahead: Women's golf is set to open its season in Eden, Utah, on Monday ... CSUB is hosting a dinner to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its wrestling program on Oct. 22.
Reporter Henry Greenstein can be reached at 661-395-7374. Follow him on Twitter: @HenryGreenstein.
