BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Interstat) — Devon Wilkes crushed a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift Cal State Bakersfield to a 10-8 victory over UC San Diego on Saturday at Hardt Field, splitting the Big West series after the Roadrunners dropped the opener Friday.

Wilkes, the designated hitter, finished 1 for 5 with the homer and three RBIs. Jacob May went 2 for 5 with a three-run homer and three RBIs for the Roadrunners, who improved to 21-28 overall. Yahir Acevedo went 3 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored. Kanoa Morisaki doubled and drove in two runs.

For UC San Diego (21-25), Addison Klepsch went 3 for 5 with a double, a triple and four RBIs. The Tritons managed seven hits and used three sacrifice bunts but could not hold an early lead.

The game began as a pitchers’ duel. Neither side scored through three innings. UC San Diego starter Niccolas Gregson struck out six over 4⅓ innings while allowing four earned runs on no hits but three walks and a hit batter. Cal State Bakersfield starter Ethan Minaker worked 5⅓ innings, giving up three earned runs on three hits with six strikeouts.

UC San Diego broke through in the fourth. Nick Costello walked, advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Dustin Lanier and scored on a triple by Ryson Ujimori.

The Roadrunners erupted in the fifth. With two outs, Acevedo doubled and Vela D doubled him home. Thompson B was hit by a pitch, and May followed with a three-run homer to make it 4-1. Gregson was replaced by Jake Villar, who later gave up two unearned runs in the frame, but Cal State Bakersfield’s lead grew to 4-1.

UC San Diego answered in the sixth. Costello walked again, and after a sacrifice bunt, Ujimori was hit by a pitch. With two on and one out, Klepsch doubled in two runs against reliever Schuerman. After a walk, Jacob Gutierrez took the mound. Alex Leopard singled to center, scoring two more and tying the game at 4-4.

The Tritons took the lead in the seventh. Costello walked for the third time and was sacrificed to second. After a fielder’s choice, Klepsch tripled to left-center, scoring two runs. Roman Camacho doubled to drive in Klepsch, making it 8-4.

Cal State Bakersfield chipped away in the eighth. With one out, Cloyd singled and Mascaro walked. Morisaki doubled to left-center, scoring both and cutting the deficit to 8-6. Acevedo singled to score Morisaki, pulling the Roadrunners within 8-7. A fielding error put runners on, but a strikeout ended the inning.

In the ninth, UC San Diego went down in order. Cal State Bakersfield’s May led off with a single. Cloyd singled, and Wilkes launched a 3-1 pitch over the right-field wall for the walk-off victory.

The game featured five home runs in total. Villar took the loss, allowing three earned runs in three innings of relief. Gutierrez earned the win with 3⅓ innings of three-hit, three-run relief.

The most critical sequence came in the bottom of the ninth. After UC San Diego had built a four-run lead in the seventh, the Roadrunners chipped away in the eighth and then finished with the three-run homer. Cal State Bakersfield outhit the Tritons 11-7.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of UC San Diego 5, Cal State Bakersfield 4. Interstat’s ELO system had projected UC San Diego with a 68.50 percent probability to win.