Matadors Rally to Defeat UCLA, 6-5

NORTHRIDGE, CA---

Riding a four-run sixth inning, CSUN Baseball (4-4) rallied past UCLA, 6-5, on Tuesday afternoon at Matador Field. Fred Smith picked up two hits including a game-tying solo home run while Nolan Bumstead drove in the go-ahead runs in the sixth inning and finished with two runs scored. Albee Weiss also belted a solo home run in the victory. Freshman right-handed pitcher Blake Schriever earned his first career victory and Conner O'Neil retired the final four batters to register his first save of the season.

"We had some stiff arms, I wouldn't say sore arms after working off a four-game weekend. Every guy that I asked if they would be ready to go today said 'give me the baseball.' Even Drake Atlee who has thrown three times in five days now, and he did a nice job." said head coach Greg Moore. "Offensively, we took about the best BP we've taken all year. It wasn't very fancy, it was just methodical, very good, and the guys carried it into the game today."

Plagued by 11 errors committed and two blown leads in the four-game series with Towson last weekend, the Matadors bounced back with a solid all around effort against the Bruins on Tuesday.

Senior right hander Drake Atlee earned his first career start on Tuesday, pitching into the third inning. The Bruins were able to score twice in the top of the second inning as Ryan Kreidler smacked a one-out, two-run single up the middle.

As they would do throughout the game, the Matadors responded quickly. In the bottom half of the frame, Weiss deposited a no doubt solo home run to left field to cut the lead in half.

Kyle Nicol entered the game in the third inning with two outs, stranding a base runner to keep it a one-run game. After a scoreless fourth, however, UCLA added a run in the fifth against Nicol on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Brett Stephens.

In the bottom of the fifth, CSUN would get the run right back. Bumstead reached base after being struck by a pitch and he later advanced to third base on a single from Alvaro Rubalcaba. Elias Orona followed with a groundout to third base, allowing Bumstead to score from third.

An inning later, the Matadors would even the game at 3-3 on one swing of the bat as Smith hit an opposite field home run to left center. Later in the frame, after Riley Conlan singled, advanced to second base on a failed pickoff attempt and moved to third on a passed ball, William Colantono worked a two-out walk to keep the inning alive.

On the walk, Colantono sprinted up the first base line and never stopped running as he made it up to second base without a throw. Bumstead followed with a two-run single up the middle to put CSUN on top by two. Rubalcaba added to the lead with another single, scoring Bumstead from second base.

UCLA answered back with a two runs in the seventh as Sean Bouchard roped a one-out, two-run home run to left field off Justin Toerner.

Trailing by one, the Bruins would not get any closer for the remainder of the afternoon. Bouncing back after the home run, Toerner retired the next four batters as he handed the ball off to O'Neil in the eighth. The Matadors' all-time career leader in saves sat down all four batters he faced to nail down the win.

Finishing 1-for-2 at the plate, junior Alex Hull earned his first career hit in a Matador uniform with a single in the fifth.

The Matadors hit the road for a three-game series at Vanderbilt beginning Friday. First pitch for the series opener is set for 2 p.m. (PT).

Matadors Rally to Defeat UCLA, 6-5

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Players Mentioned

Drake Atlee

Nolan Bumstead

William Colantono

Riley Conlan

Alex Hull

Kyle Nicol

Conner O'Neil

Elias Orona

Alvaro Rubalcaba

Blake Schriever

Fred Smith

Justin Toerner

Albee Weiss

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