Matadors Split Doubleheader with Towson

NORTHRIDGE, CA---

CSUN Baseball (3-3) split a Saturday twin bill with Towson at Matador Field. The Matadors pounded their way to an 11-5 victory in the opener but Towson rebounded with a 7-2 comeback victory in game two. Junior Albee Weiss knocked in six runs on the day including five in game one along with a grand slam. Fellow junior Kevin Riley collected five hits and two RBI in the doubleheader. Senior right-handed pitcher Samuel Myers earned the win in the opener, pitching five innings while allowing no earned runs. Receiving a tough luck loss, junior right hander Tei Vanderford tossed 7.2 innings in the second game, surrendering three runs but only one earned.

The Matadors scored multiple runs in four different frames in the opener as eight different Matadors combined to total 12 hits. CSUN cracked the run column first in the second inning as Alvaro Rubalcaba brought in Weiss on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded. A second run came across on a throwing error by Billy Lennox on a potential double play ball.

Myers pitched effectively on the mound in his five innings of work. Allowing just two hits through the first four innings, Myers only surrendered one hit to reach the outfield. In the fifth, Towson was able to scatch across a run on Myers but the run came in following a throwing error at first base with one out.

Ahead 2-1, the Matadors scored twice more in the bottom of the fifth. Following a double from John Santospago, Fred Smith stroked a two-out RBI single through the right side. Two batters later, after Riley kept the inning alive with an infield single, Weiss legged out an RBI single that deflected off pitcher Kevin Ross' glove.

The Matadors put together another big frame an inning later. Elias Orona stroked a double down the right field line with two outs, scoring Nolan Bumstead from second. After Smith was intentionally walked to load the bases, Riley put CSUN on top 7-1 with a two-run single to center.

Trailing by six, Towson fought its way back into the game in the late innings. Trey Martinez hit a home run in the seventh and knocked in another run in the eighth. A.J. Gallo also belted a two-run blast in the eighth to cut the lead to 7-5.

Undeterred, the Matadors responded with four runs on one swing of the bat in the bottom of the eighth. After a single and two walks loaded the bases, Weiss hammerred a 1-0 pitch over the left field wall for his second career grand slam.

Justin Toerner tossed 2.0 innings out of the bullpen, giving up a run, while Blake Schriever, Kyle Nicol and Matt Campbell all pitched 0.2 innings to secure the victory.

In game two, the Matadors jumped out of the gate fast with two runs in the bottom of the first. With two runners on and one out, Weiss doubled in one run on a rope down the left field line. Smith followed with grounder to the right side, scoring Riley from third base.

Earning the start, Vanderford silenced the Tiger hitters throughout the afternoon. Giving up a walk in the first, Vanderford retired 12 consecutive batters until Colin Dyer singled in the fifth inning.

Frustrated through five innings, Towson pulled to within one in the sixth on a Vanderford wild pitch that scored Richard Miller from third.

After Vanderford pitched around an error in the seventh, another defensive miscue in the eighth opened the door for a huge inning for the Tigers. On a bunt from Gallo to third base, a throwing error put two runners on with nobody out. Towson later loaded the bases on a Logan Burke walk, and Colin Gimblet followed with a bases clearing double.

The Tigers added three more runs in the ninth following a Matador fielding error in left field and a two-run single from Richie Palacios with the bases loaded.

Towson's bullpen tossed four shutout innings to prevent any Matador comeback in the late innings. Alex Cuas earned the win by tossing two scoreless frames.

The Matadors look for a series split tomorrow afternoon against Towson. First pitch is slated for noon.

Matadors Split Doubleheader with Towson

Players Mentioned

Nolan Bumstead

Matt Campbell

Samuel Myers

Kyle Nicol

Elias Orona

Kevin Riley

Alvaro Rubalcaba

Nick Sablock

John Santospago

Blake Schriever

Fred Smith

Justin Toerner

Tei Vanderford

Albee Weiss