Matadors Complete Sweep of Cal Poly with Walk-Off Win

Sunday, May 8

Northridge, CA

1:00 p.m.

California State University at Northridge

28-16, 7-11

Cal Poly

26-20, 7-8

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Cal Poly	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	0
CSUN	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	5	0

Matadors Complete Sweep of Cal Poly with Walk-Off Win

5/8/2016 5:34:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

NORTHRIDGE, CA---

CSUN Baseball (28-16, 7-11 BWC) completed a three-game sweep of Cal Poly (26-20, 7-8 BWC) in dramatic fashion with a 2-1 walk-off win on Sunday afternoon at Matador Field. A two-out, game winning single off the bat of Dylan Alexander capped off a two-run ninth and the Matadors' third-straight win over the Mustangs. Alexander finished with two of the Matadors' five hits while Nolan Bumstead drove in the tying run on a sacrifice fly earlier in the ninth inning. The CSUN pitching staff combined to hold the Mustangs hitless after the third inning, allowing the Matador offense to come back late. The Matadors' win secured their first Big West Conference three-game sweep since 2013.

"I was looking for something good to hit. I didn't want to get down in the count so I was just trying to find a good pitch early in the at bat," said Alexander about his approach in the ninth inning. "I think we were wearing it down all game. We didn't have the results we wanted [early in the game] but we were taking good at bats throughout and everything just clicked together in the ninth."

Trailing 1-0 entering the ninth, the Matadors staged a late-game comeback with a series of outstanding at bats. After being held to just three hits through the first eight innings, CSUN began the ninth with a leadoff single from Fred Smith. Looking to get a bunt down to move the runner into scoring position, Yusuke Akitoshi instead took four pitches out of the strike zone to work a walk. After Branden Berry flied out to deep right field, both base runners tagged and moved into second and third base.

Albee Weiss followed next and fell into a 1-2 hole before coming back to take three-straight pitches outside to walk and load the bases. Looking for a flyball into the outfield to bring in the tying run, Bumstead fought back from an 0-2 count to drive a pitch to center, which allowed Smith to tag and score from third base. The Matadors received another quality at bat moments later, this time from Justin Toerner who drew a seven-pitch walk to load the bases once again. With the base paths full of Matadors and two outs, Alexander stepped to the plate and roped the first pitch he saw into deep right center field to bring in the winning run.

"The at bat by Albee was his work in the cage the last few weeks. He was able to go down and foul off the slider and late in the at bat he takes it. His vision is getting better," said head coach Greg Moore about Weiss. "Nolan Bumstead was just going to stick his face on the ball if that's what he needed to do to get it in play. Toerner's at bat was outstanding and obviously the big hit comes from Dylan. There was a string of quality at bats and great vision within those at bats. You just shrug your shoulders and work to do that again and again."

Prior to the ninth, the Matadors were unable to figure out starter Jarred Zill who was impressive in eight plus innings. Zill allowed three hits through eight including surrendering two infield singles and recording eight strikeouts.

The Matadors were unable to move a runner into scoring position until the fifth inning. Alexander singled to third with two outs in the fifth and Jose Ruiz reached on a hit by pitch to put runners at first and second base. Zill would recover to get out of the jam by retiring Elias Orona on a flyout to center. After hitting Ruiz, Zill set down the next 10 batters consecutively until the Matadors ended the string in the ninth inning.

Cal Poly broke a scoreless tie in the third inning to take a 1-0 lead. CSUN starter Andrew Weston pitched around hits in each of the first two innings but he gave up a two-out RBI single to Brett Barbier to plate Kyle Marinconz from second base.

Weston finished strong over his final three innings as he would allow one base runner to reach during that span. On the afternoon, he went five innings, scattering four hits while surrendering one run.

The Matador bullpen took over in the sixth and kept Cal Poly at bay the rest of the way.

Samuel Myers retired two batters in the sixth, but after walking two batters, Mathew Troupe came out of the bullpen and set down Alec Smith on a lineout to end the frame. In the top of the seventh, the Mustangs threatened with runners at the corners and two outs but Joe Ryan entered the fray and got the Matadors out of trouble by striking out Barbier swinging. Ryan faced the minimum in the eighth and ninth innings to give CSUN an opportunity to rally in the last of the ninth.

CSUN not only secured its first Big West series sweep in three seasons this weekend, the Matadors also recorded their first pair of conference victories since 2013. CSUN took two out of three from Hawai'i at Matador Field in April to notch its first Big West series win in 2016.

Since beginning the conference season 1-8, the Matadors have won six of the last nine games.

The Matadors continue their final homestand of the season against UC Davis in a three-game series beginning on Friday. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. The first two games of the series will be streamed live on the CSUN Sports Network via Big West.TV with Ross Porter calling all the action.