BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Interstat) — A disastrous second inning and a dominant start from Shane McAlinden propelled Cal State Bakersfield to an 8-1 victory over Pacific on Monday night at Hardt Field.

The Tigers struck first but quickly unraveled, allowing four runs in a chaotic bottom of the second that set the tone for the evening. Pacific’s early lead, provided by Brendan O’Sullivan’s first-inning single, vanished amid a cascade of walks, a hit batter, a critical error and timely Roadrunner hitting.

The most important sequence of the game began with one out in the second. Pacific starter Nathen Nino, who was pulled during the inning, allowed the first two batters to reach on an error and a hit-by-pitch. A walk loaded the bases before Matt Pelayo’s fielder’s choice brought home the tying run. After a pitching change to Liam Smith, a bases-loaded walk to Kobe Salazar forced in another. Smith then induced a strikeout, but Jalen May lifted a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1. The inning’s final run, and perhaps the most demoralizing, scored when a wild pitch allowed Pelayo to come home, aided by a throwing error from the catcher.

That four-run outburst, with only one hit, gave Cal State Bakersfield a 4-1 lead it would not relinquish. The Roadrunners broke the game open in the fourth, adding four more runs on three hits, including a two-run double from Derek Wilkes and an RBI single from Nick Bennett.

The early cushion was more than enough for McAlinden. The Cal State Bakersfield right-hander delivered five strong innings, scattering three hits and striking out five while allowing no earned runs. His performance was a sharp rebound from his previous outing on March 29, when he surrendered five earned runs without recording a hit over 2 2/3 innings.

Pacific’s offense managed eight hits but repeatedly squandered opportunities, hitting into three double plays and stranding runners. The Tigers’ lone bright spot came in the ninth inning when pinch-hitter-turned-center fielder Alex Dolan doubled and scored on a Diego Davis triple. Dolan finished 2 for 2.

Following McAlinden, the Roadrunner bullpen combined for four innings of one-run ball, using five pitchers to secure the win. Payton Pudenz, Dante Jackson and Saul Bolivar each contributed a scoreless inning before Roman Bracamonte allowed the final run in the ninth.

For Pacific, relievers Regan Carter, Connor Raridan and Carson Revay each threw a perfect inning with multiple strikeouts in a losing effort.

With the win, Cal State Bakersfield improved to 14-17 overall, while Pacific fell to 10-20. The Roadrunners next travel to face Saint Mary’s on Wednesday. Pacific begins a three-game series at Pepperdine on Friday.

The final score exceeded the projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a 6-2 Cal State Bakersfield victory. The Roadrunners’ win probability was listed at 61.3% before the game.