Sunday, March 11
Northridge, CA
11:00 a.m.
California State University at Northridge
2
vs
3
Pepperdine
Photo by: Samuel Ware
Matadors Split Doubleheader with Pepperdine
3/11/2018 6:58:00 PM | Baseball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball split its doubleheader with Pepperdine on Sunday afternoon at Matador Field. The Matadors dropped a close battle in game one, 3-2, but bounced back with an 8-4 win in the afternoon game. Justin Toerner drove in five runs on the day and collected three hits to lead the offense. Wesley Moore and Matt Acosta each gave the Matadors solid starts on the mound as Moore went 5.0 innings and struck out five batters, and Acosta tossed 6.0 innings and fanned two batters.Â
"What's important is that the team leaves here and doesn't accept a salvaged day," said head coach Greg Moore. "We didn't play well enough this week. So we have to get back to work and be more consistent on both sides of the ball."
"Wes [Moore] did everything that you want a starter to do but we just didn't finish off. You got a starter [Walker Armstrong] coming out of the 'pen. It's such a unique thing to have in college baseball to have a pitcher come into the game in the fifth and finish. He's comfortable when he sees the lineup once, twice and three times. Matt [Acosta] was tremendous. He did what he did last week, he was electric early and really changed speeds late. I was excited how he spun his slider today. That's an adjustment he's been working to make," added Moore about his pitchers on Sunday.Â
Game One Recap:
The Matadors took the early lead in the opener with a two-run bottom of the first. A pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases in the frame, giving Toerner an opportunity to hit a line drive single to first base. On the play, the ball hit off the first base bag, skipping by first baseman Brandt Belk. The infield single brought home Alvaro Rubalcaba and Joey Cooper to give CSUN a 2-0 lead.Â
The Waves capitalized on an error from Moore in the second inning to cut the Matadors' lead in half. Jordan Qsar reached base on a single and later advanced to third base on a failed pickoff attempt from Moore. Aharon Modlin came through with an RBI hit, plating Qsar.Â
Moore rebounded from his miscue in the second inning to retire 11 of the next 12 batters over the next three frames. Finally, in the sixth Moore was lifted after walking back-to-back batters to start the inning. Walker Armstrong came out of the bullpen and sat down the first batter before giving up an RBI hit to Qsar. Modlin drove in the go-ahead run on a fielder's choice with two outs.
CSUN saw strong pitching out of the Waves' bullpen as the combination of Jonathan Pendergast and Michael Mahony would allow just two hits. The Matadors threatened in the seventh inning as Rubalcaba and Cooper singled with two outs. However, Pendergast stranded both runners in scoring position after he retired Trevor Casanova on a flyout. In the ninth, Nolan Bumstead and Rubalcaba walked, but Mahony struck out Cooper to end the game.
In the game, Armstrong tossed 3.2 shutout innings as he scattered four hits and struck out four. Taking the hard luck loss, Moore allowed three runs with two earned on just three hits.
Game Two Recap:
CSUN outslugged the Waves in the second game, striking for four home runs. As they did in the opener, the Matadors struck first, this time in the second inning. Kevin Riley singled to leadoff the frame before Toerner followed with a two-run home run to right field on the very next pitch.
The Waves' Chase Lambert answered with a solo home run in the top of the third but CSUN responded with a two-out RBI double from Toerner in the bottom half of the frame.
Acosta allowed two hits through the first three innings but the Waves would even the game in the fourth. Capitalizing on a dropped ball in left field, Cory Wills hit an RBI double to bring Pepperdine a run closer. With two runners in scoring position, Billy Cook drove in the tying run on an RBI groundout back to the mound.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Matadors answered once more, thanks again to the long ball. Cooper was hit by a pitch with two outs, bringing Casanova to the plate. The Matador catcher deposited the first pitch of the at bat way over the right field wall to put CSUN in front 5-3. Kyle Barret added to the lead with a two-run home run in the fifth, and Albee Weiss joined the home run parade in the seventh with a solo blast.
Acosta pitched around a pair of singles in the fifth and sixth innings as he was lifted to begin the seventh with the lead. Isaiah Nunez worked two innings, giving up a run on three hits to go with four strikeouts. Blake Schriever came out of the 'pen in the ninth and retired the side in order. Acosta earned his third win of the season with his work on the mound.
Weiss' team-leading ninth home run of the season was also his 31st of his collegiate career. He is now tied for 10th in CSUN history with Michael Paulk (2003-05) and Jason Shanahan (1992-95) on the Matadors' career home run list.
CSUN continues its short three-game homestand against UCLA on Tuesday afternoon. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
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