CSUN Battles Back to Defeat Purdue

NORTHRIDGE, CA---

Erasing a three-run deficit, CSUN Baseball defeated Purdue, 5-4, on Sunday afternoon at Matador Field to claim the series. Fred Smith recorded two hits while Nolan Bumstead finished with a double and two RBI. Junior right-hander Tei Vanderford earned his third win of the season by going 7.2 innings, allowing just two earned runs to go along with seven strikeouts. The Matadors rode a four-run fifth inning and strong pitching down the stretch to win their fourth-straight game.

"Its important in our dugout that we understand it's a matter of time before we wear a game down, but we have to work for those runs and that defense. I think our team did that today," said head coach Greg Moore about the comeback win. "I enjoyed watching [Vanderford] battle. He had to dial it back in and understand how to simplify. Last week it rolled, this week he had to really grind it out and work for it. The last part of it is that I enjoy watching him dig deep to make pitches late in games."

CSUN staked to the early lead in the second inning as Alvaro Rubalcaba rifled an RBI single to right field, plating Jake Spurlin to put the Matadors on top.

Throwing a complete game at Vanderbilt last Saturday, Vanderford picked up right where he left off in the early going on Sunday. Vanderford retired the first six batters to begin the game but ran into trouble in the middle innings.

Purdue loaded the bases against Vanderford with one out in the third inning and settled for a run on a sacrifice fly from Evan Warden. An inning later, the Boilermakers took the lead as Bryce Bonner doubled down the right field line with two outs.

In the fifth, Vanderford surrendered two more runs, however both would be unearned. Striking out the first batter of the inning, Vanderford fanned Harry Shipley as well but a dropped third strike and an errant throw up the line allowed the runner to reach. In a similar play, Vanderford struck out Warden as well but another dropped ball and a throwing error put two runners on base. Purdue would cash in on an RBI double from Nick Dalesandro and a sacrifice fly from Jacson McGowan.

CSUN entered the bottom of the fifth trailing by three but would respond with a huge inning to light up the scoreboard. Earlier in the game, the Matadors held a 1-0 lead when power went out across campus. Power would be restored in the fifth inning, and coicedentally enough, so did the Matadors bats.

Justin Toerner began the rally in the fifth with a single followed by a double from Smith. After Kevin Riley was struck by a pitch to load the bases, Albee Weiss stepped to the plate and worked a walk to forced in a run. Bumstead picked up the big hit of the inning with a two-run double to left center field to even the game. The Matadors would take the lead moments later on an RBI groundout from Michael Russo.

Pitching with a one-run lead, Vanderford would go to work on the mound. Vanderford retired the side in order in the sixth and pitched around a one-out double an inning later. In the eighth, Vanderford sat down the first two batters before walking Skyler Hunter on a 3-2 pitch.

Conner O'Neil relieved Vanderford in the eighth and proceeded to strike out all four batters he faced to record his third save of the season.

With his RBI single in the second inning, Rubalcaba extended his hitting streak to nine games while Bumstead pushed his streak of reaching base safely to nine with his two-run double.

The Matadors look for the four-game sweep of the Boilermakers on Monday afternoon. First pitch from Matador Field is set for noon.

CSUN Battles Back to Defeat Purdue

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Team Stats

Fred Smith

Justin Toerner

Nolan Bumstead

Michael Russo

Players Mentioned

Nolan Bumstead

Samuel Myers

Conner O'Neil

Elias Orona

Kevin Riley

Alvaro Rubalcaba

Michael Russo

Fred Smith

Jake Spurlin

Justin Toerner

Tei Vanderford

Albee Weiss