SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Juniors
Hiroshi Yang and
Sean Battistessa each found the back of the net on Wednesday afternoon, but visiting Cal State Bakersfield found the tying goals each time as the Sacramento State men's soccer team battled the Roadrunners to a 2-2 draw in Big West play at Hornet Soccer Field.
The Hornets extended their unbeaten streak to four straight matches, moving to 3-5-2 and 0-0-2 at the end of the first week of conference play. Bakersfield moved to 3-2-4 overall and 0-0-2 in league with the result.
Both teams went back-and-forth for most of the first half before it was Yang that broke up the scoreless deadlock. Video review played a part in the first score of the day as Sacramento State successfully challenged a foul that went uncalled in the box and was awarded a penalty kick.
Yang, already 1-for-1 from the spot this season after scoring the first goal of the match against UC Davis via a penalty in the season opener, calmly buried his second of the season for the 1-0 lead. It was the fourth goal of the year for the reigning Big West Offensive Player of the Week and his third in the team's three previous matches.
Cal State Bakersfield wasted little time in answering, netting the tying goal off a free kick just two minutes later as Filip Arras scored to the right post from distance to tie the match.
It remained that way for the final two-plus minutes of the first and into the second half until the Hornets were able to pull ahead once again in the 64th minute. Senior
Eli Reyneveld found room down the left side and sent a ball inside the six-yard box where Battistessa was making a run and the Hornet striker stuck out his left leg and got just enough of the ball to misdirect it past the UCR keeper for the 2-1 lead.
Battistessa's goal was his team-high fifth of the year and the 11th of his career in the green and gold, while Reyneveld added his second helper of 2026.
Again, the Roadrunners were game, finding another equalizer five minutes later. O'Shea Foster had the initial shot that clanged off the crossbar, but Lorimer Bouman was in the right place at the right time, putting home the rebound into the open net to knot the match at two apiece.
Cal State Bakersfield then attempted the next six shots of the match, forcing goalkeeper
Lucas Bost into two of his five saves on the night and the defense came up with two more blocks. That was it for either side, however, as the horn sounded just before the Roadrunners could get off another attempt, securing the draw.
Both teams finished with seven shots on goal while Cal State Bakersfield ended the day with a 17-10 shot advantage overall. Yang led all Hornets with three shots, putting two on frame, while six others ended with attempts.
Sacramento State returns to action on Wednesday with a Pac-12 crossover match against Gonzaga on Wednesday (Oct. 7) at 4 p.m., before hitting the road to take on Utah Valley on Saturday (Oct. 10) at 6 p.m. PT.
