Matadors Defeat William & Mary to Post Best Start Since 1996

Saturday, March 12

Northridge, CA

2:00 p.m.

California State University at Northridge

12-3

William & Mary

6-10

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
William & Mary	1	0	0	6	0	0	0	0	0	7	9	3
CSUN	6	0	2	1	0	0	2	0	X	11	15	3

Photo by: CSUN Athletics

Matadors Defeat William & Mary to Post Best Start Since 1996

3/12/2016 9:36:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

NORTHRIDGE, CA---

CSUN Baseball (12-3) outlasted William & Mary by the final of 11-7 on Saturday afternoon to win its seventh-straight game. With the win, CSUN is off to its best 15-game start to a season since 1996. Junior Fred Smith went 4-for-6 with two runs scored to extend his hitting streak to 15 games while Albee Weiss, Justin Toerner, Nolan Bumstead and Michael Russo each drove in two runs.

The Matadors' 12-3 start is the best in 20 seasons. Over that span, only the 1996 team has posted more wins through 15 games as CSUN went 14-1 to start that season.

"The team played steady again. I don't think we were very sharp or very clean defensively but they continued to play," said head coach Greg Moore. "We're scoring in bunches because we are putting pretty good pressure on the other team. We've got some team speed; we've got the ability to put the ball on the ground. Fred Smith does a great job at the top of the lineup in terms of putting the ball down on that third baseline in his drag bunts. We've got a good combination of physical and fast."

In an all too familiar scene, the Matadors once again put together a big inning to build a lead in their contest with the Tribe. For the fifth time in four games, the Matadors scored at least six runs in a single frame with their six runs on Saturday coming in the first inning.

After being defeated 11-3 on Thursday, William & Mary staked to an early lead with a single tally in the first inning as a run came home on a wild pitch with two outs. In the bottom of the frame, CSUN would make up the deficit in a hurry.

Smith started the inning with a single through the right side of the infield. After Akitoshi and Berry reached to load the bases, Weiss stepped to the plate and delivered a shot down the left field line to plate two. Toerner followed suit with a double of his own to score a third run and Bumstead brought home another moments later with an RBI single to center.

Still with nobody out and two runners in scoring position, the Matadors took advantage of the situation as both Russo and Jose Ruiz drove in runs on RBI groundouts.

CSUN added two more to build an 8-1 lead in the third. Russo picked up his second run batted in on a single through the right side to bring home Toerner and Elias Orona hit a sacrifice fly later in the inning.

The Tribe though would fight back with a six-run fourth inning, taking advantage of Matador miscues. CSUN committed three consecutive errors in the infield with one out resulting in two runs coming across. With the bases loaded and still one out, Ryan Hall cashed in on the opportunity with a three-run double to make it 8-6. William & Mary inched closer on a two-out triple off the bat of Ryder Miconi to cut the lead to one.

CSUN responded with a single tally in the bottom of the fourth to create some breathing room. Bumstead drove in Toerner from second base on a two-out single to push the lead to 9-7.

The Matadors' bullpen would come in and right the ship over the middle innings to keep CSUN ahead. Right-hander Andrew Weston came on in the fifth and escaped a two on, one out jam en route to tossing 1.2 shutout innings. Junior right-handed pitcher Samuel Myers also pitched effectively, tossing 2.1 innings of shutout baseball.

CSUN added two insurance runs in the seventh inning to go up 11-7. Akitoshi recorded a sacrifice fly to score Orona and Toerner forced in a run after drawing a bases loaded walk later in the frame.

Ahead by four, the combination of Myers and Conner O'Neil pitched a scoreless ninth to secure the seventh-straight win for CSUN.

CSUN has now scored 51 runs over the last four games including 48 over the last 28 innings. As a team, CSUN has hit .345 in the four contests.

CSUN hosts UConn in a doubleheader at Matador Field on Sunday afternoon. Game one is scheduled for a 10 a.m. start time. Game two will begin approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.