CSUN Falls To No. 19 Cal; Outslugs LIU 7-6

CATHEDREAL CITY, Calif.—Saturday saw CSUN take part in a pair of games at the Mary Nutter Cathedral City Classic. Here is a summary of the day's action.

CSUN-CAL
No. 19 California (13-1) defeated CSUN 8-0 in the opening game of the day for the Matadors.

Mikayla Coelho's two-RBI single in the bottom of the first gave the Bears the early lead. Cal added to the lead with an unearned run in the second. Coelho led off the third with a home run to center.

A double with the bases loaded for pinch-hitter Lauren Espalin allowed three runs to score. A Matadors' passed ball allowed the eighth Cal run to score. Kenedee Jamerson charted two of the four CSUN hits.

"We have to figure out a way to manufacture runs and we've come up short in the last few games," said CSUN head coach Tairia Flowers. "I still feel like we were battling, and fouling pitches off and getting in some good at-bats. Hopefully it will pay off and we need to stay positive."

CSUN-LIU BROOKLYN
CSUN outslugged LIU Brooklyn 7-6 in the Saturday nightcap.

Savannah Horvath walked to open the bottom of the first for the Matadors. Kira Cauley's opposite field single to left advanced Horvath to second. CSUN put the double steal on, which was successful. The throw down to third ended up in left, allowing Horvath to score. Corrin Green singled to left to drive in Cauley for a 2-0 score.

Angie Vazquez tied the game with a single to right center to plate Ryleigh Berma and Neredya Guiterrez. Patrica Griffin's single to right later in the inning drove in two runs to give the Blackbirds the lead. Vazquez added an RBI single in the third to extend the LIU advantage.

Jamerson led off the fourth with a double. She moved to third on a Jocelin Soto sac bunt. Jessica LaPierre cut the LIU lead to two with a two-run home run. Mackenzie Babbitt singled which was followed Cauley's third single of the game. Stevens singled to center to drive in Babbitt. Cauley moved to third and scored on a Blackbirds' fielding error.

Katie Hinkle tied the game at six in the top of the fifth with an infield single that plated Vazquez. With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, a Babbitt infield single drove in Jamerson to put CSUN back into the lead 7-6.

The Blackbirds loaded the bases with one out in the top of the sixth. Alina Castillo bounced back to Jillian James in the circle. She threw home to get the second out. Vazquez ran the count to 2-2 on James before popping out to second to conclude the inning.

James hit Emily Collins to begin the seventh. Collins reach second safely on an error on Katie Hinkle's sac bunt attempt. Griffin's sacrifice was successful as both runners moved up a base. James hit Victoria Zamora to load the bases. Schae Dickson was retired on the infield fly rule. Ryleigh Bermea lined out to Green at first to end the game.

CSUN and LIU (3-9) both recorded 12 hits. Cauley was 3-for-3 with two runs scored. Stevens, Green, and Babbitt each posted two hits. Hinkle and Vazquez both had three hits for the Blackbirds.

"I think that we came out with a little different mentality," Flowers said. "We wanted to scrap one out today and we found some holes and it worked in our favor."

The Matadors (5-10) complete tournament play Sunday afternoon when CSUN faces Fresno State (7-4, as of 2/24) at 2 p.m.

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Team Stats

Kenedee Jamerson

Kira Cauley

Megan Stevens

Savannah Horvath

Players Mentioned

Mackenzie Babbitt

Kira Cauley

Corrin Green

Savannah Horvath

Kenedee Jamerson

Jillian James

Jessica LaPierre

Jocelin Soto