Matadors Sweep Houston Baptist, Extend Streak to 13

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NORTHRIDGE, CA---

CSUN Baseball (18-3) completed a four-game sweep of Houston Baptist with a 7-2 victory on Sunday afternoon at Matador Field. The Matadors have now won 13-straight contests and 17 of the last 18 games. Fred Smith went 2-for-5 with two runs scored to extend his hitting streak to 21 and three other Matadors had multiple-hit games. Andrew Weston earned the victory by tossing five shutout innings in relief. CSUN also completed a 9-0 homestand with the sweep on Sunday.

"We scored in multiple innings today," said head coach Greg Moore. "We had some consistency throughout the lineup, and the bottom of the order swung it well and had some good long at bats. Jayson Newman had an at bat in the fifth inning where he doesn't get the bunt down twice but he finds a way to move the ball to second base and move Bumstead over. I thought that was the tone setter for the day. When the young guy stays in there and sticks his nose in that pitch, it's a sign of good things that are going to come."

For the fourth-straight contest and the sixth time in seven games, CSUN took the early lead with a run in its half of the first inning. Yusuke Akitoshi singled to start the frame and stole second moments later to get the Matador offense rolling. He later advanced to third on a grounder and he eventually came around to score on a wild pitch.

The Huskies answered back with a single tally of their own in the second inning. Brandon Morones came through with a one-out RBI single off starter Joe Ryan to even things at 1-1.

The Matadors quickly responded however, plating three runs in the bottom half of the second inning. After Nolan Bumstead doubled to start the frame, Bobby Schuman singled in the go-ahead run with a shot up the middle. Smith later added to the lead with an RBI hit after Elias Orona doubled. A third run came across on a wild pitch.

Trailing by three, Houston Baptist threatened to answer back in the third. A walk, single and hit batter loaded the bases with one out. Blake Thomas connected on an RBI single that just dropped out in left field to bring the Huskies to within two. With the tying runs in scoring position, Ryan buckled down and got out of trouble with back-to-back strikeouts.

Entering out of the bullpen in the fifth, Weston came in and kept the Huskies at bay with solid pitching. He retired six of the first seven batters he faced until the Huskies picked up consecutive singles in the seventh. The sophomore got out of a first and second, one-out predicament in the seventh by retiring the next two on grounders on the infield.

Still a tight game heading into the middle innings, CSUN added insurance runs in the fifth and sixth to create some breathing room. Schuman tallied his second RBI of the day with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth and Dylan Alexander earned a sacrifice fly of his own an inning later. The Matadors recorded their seventh run of the day in the last of the eighth on a passed ball.

Weston would do the rest as he set down the final six batters of the game in order to secure his fourth win of the season. Houston Baptist would only manage two hits and a walk against Weston on Sunday. Over his last 16.1 innings pitched, Weston has allowed no runs over the span of six appearances.

"He was itching to pitch," said Moore about Weston. "He wanted the baseball. We threw him an inning yesterday so he could bounce back today. As soon as I saw him, he said 'I want the ball today.' He had a good day today. You have to appreciate a guy that comes in and studies the game like he did. That's what the team needed Drew to do."

In addition to Smith's 21-straight games reaching base safely, Branden Berry has reached in 13 consecutive games while posting a six-game hitting streak.

CSUN hits the road for a four-game series at the University of Portland beginning on Thursday. The Matadors will square off with the Pilots in a doubleheader with game one set to start at 3 p.m. Game two's start time is tentatively scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

Matadors Sweep Houston Baptist, Extend Streak to 13

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Team Stats

Fred Smith

Yusuke Akitoshi

Dylan Alexander

Elias Orona

Players Mentioned

Yusuke Akitoshi

Dylan Alexander

Branden Berry

Nolan Bumstead

Jayson Newman

Elias Orona

Joe Ryan

Bobby Schuman

Fred Smith

Andrew Weston