TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

The CSU Bakersfield offense had a nice day Monday, but this was Taylor Aikenhead's game.

Aikenhead, a sophomore left-handed pitcher, tossed a three-hit complete game in the Roadrunners' 8-1 win over Kansas State.

The win gave CSUB (2-1) two wins in the three-game series against a Wildcats team that qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season.

After allowing a run in the first and a two-out single in the second, Aikenhead retired 17 of the next 18 batters, including the last 12 in a row until a one-out walk in the eighth.

"He can get on a roll, throwing strikes with the ball movement he has," CSUB coach Bill Kernen said. "He does get into a groove. Today he was able to sustain it for nine innings."

Aikenhead, who was mainly a relief pitcher last season at Bakersfield College, hasn't been a regular starting pitcher since his senior year at Lancaster-Desert Christian High. He said this was the first nine-inning complete game he's ever had.

"These guys have been in the snow in Kansas, playing in the gym. They haven't seen too much live pitching," Aikenhead said.

"I just wanted to throw fastballs and change-ups. We've got the fastest outfield in the nation and a real good infield -- just let them hit it."

"We had real good chemistry today," said CSUB catcher Cael Brockmeyer. "His ball naturally has a lot of movement on it.

"He keeps it down in the zone and he hits his spot low and away. These guys weren't going to be able to do much with it."

Aikenhead worked the outside corner and topped out in the low 80s (mph). Many of his pitches registered 75 to 78 mph, according to the Hardt Field scoreboard.

"We wanted to make them prove to us they could drive balls the opposite way and they weren't able to do that," Brockmeyer said.

Offensively, D.C. Legg provided most of the punch. The senior first baseman became the fifth Roadrunner in the four-season history of the program to hit two home runs in a game. He finished 3-for-4 with five RBIs.

Legg, who started the first two games of the series at third base, hit three homers in the series. He finished with three home runs last season in 53 games.

"We thought he'd come back as a senior and have a really special year for us," Kernen said.

Legg said Monday was the first time in his life he's hit two homers in a game at any level.

He jumped on a high breaking ball with two runners on in the first for a three-run homer to straightaway left. Legg added an RBI single during CSUB's three-run third and homered down the left field line leading off the eighth.

"They had a tendency on 1-1 counts to throw off-speed," Legg said. "I knew what was going to come. Once they came, they hung the pitch and I was fortunate to hit it out."

Legg reportedly was a hard worker in the weight room during the offseason.

"Our new strength and conditioning coach (Brendon Ziegler) has been working hard with all of us, with our core and lower half," Legg said. "You can see it from our pitchers and our hitters. We look good."

The official box score listed Aikenhead with 147 pitches, but Kernen said that was significantly higher than the pitch count kept in the dugout.

"We never would have left him out there if it was that high," Kernen said. "We had him at 101 after seven (innings) and 110 after eight.

"When he came off the field at the end of the eighth inning, he said, 'Don't even think about it (removing him from the game).'"

Two walks and an error in the ninth extended Aikenhead's pitch count. Kernen went to the mout with two outs but headed back to the dugout after about a 15-second conversation.

"He said, 'This is the last hitter. Don't think about it,'" Kernen said.

"I was a little tired, but I was not coming out of that game," Aikenhead said.

CSUB hosts Fresno State Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Hardt Field.