Saturday, February 29
Orlando, Fla.
11:00 a.m.
California State University at Northridge
8-1
4
at
2
#17 UCF
9-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
CSUN
0
0
1
1
0
0
2
0
0
4
7
0
UCF
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
2
5
2
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Traxel, Blaine (2-0)
L: Trevor Holloway (2-1)
S: Schriever, Blake (3)
Batting:
2B: Coffey, Cole 1
HR: Arellano, Carlos 1
RBI: Bullard, Robert 1 ; Ruiz, Jose 1 ; Arellano, Carlos 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Moody, Kai 1 ; Arellano, Carlos 1 ; Coffey, Cole 1 ; Clarke, Denzel 1
SB: Moody, Kai 1 ; Clarke, Denzel 1
HBP: Coffey, Cole 1 ; Clarke, Denzel 1
Batting:
HR: Ben McCabe 1
RBI: Ben McCabe 1 ; Archer,Matt 1
SH: Andrew Brait 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Pablo Ruiz 1 ; Ben McCabe 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballINF/OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF/RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF/OF
/ Baseball
Photo by: Tim Strong
CSUN Splits Doubleheader with #17 UCF
2/29/2020 5:09:00 PM | Baseball
ORLANDO, Fla.---CSUN Baseball (8-2) split a doubleheader with No. 17 UCF on Saturday at John Euliano Park. The Matadors upset the Knights in the opener 4-2 but dropped a 10-5 decision in game two. Sophomore right-hander Blaine Traxel worked a career-high seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits to go with a new personal-best seven strikeouts in the opener. Junior Carlos Arellano finished with three hits in the two games including a home run.
GAME ONE
Matador pitching allowed just five hits in the win over the 17th-ranked Knights. Offensively, Arellano and Blake Doremus led the way with two hits apiece while Robert Bullard reached base three times.
Traxel was impressive throughout his seven innings of work on the mound. He retired 12 of the first 14 batters in the ballgame and only allowed two walks through the first four innings. CSUN gave Traxel a bit of run support in the top of the third inning on a Jose Ruiz RBI groundout and a second run on an Arellano one-out home run in the fourth.
The Knights finally broke up Traxel's shutout bid in the fifth inning. The first two batters reached to start the frame then a sacrifice bunt and fielder's choice off the bat of Matt Archer trimmed the lead to 2-1. Traxel would fight out of trouble by retiring the next two batters on popouts to end the threat.
The Matadors added to their lead in the seventh when their bats came alive. Cole Coffey began the rally with a one-out double before Denzel Clarke worked a walk. Two batters later, Bullard delivered with an RBI single. On the play, Pablo Ruiz committed a throwing error, which allowed Clarke to touch home plate as well, giving CSUN a 4-1 lead.
Traxel gave up a one-out home run to Ben McCabe in the seventh but retired two of the next four batters to keep CSUN up by two. Closer Blake Schriever took over in the eighth and surrendered a one-out single before inducing an inning-ending double play. Schriever worked a clean ninth to earn his third save of the season.
GAME TWO
In game two, the Matadors had a 5-4 lead after five innings but the Knights took advantage of CSUN miscues to rally for six runs over their last three at-bats. Clarke finished 2-for-5 with two RBI and a home run to lead the way for the Matadors.
The Knights took advantage of two CSUN errors in the second inning to plate the game's first run. CSUN would answer back in the third inning behind Clarke. The sophomore stroked a two-run home run to put the Matadors in front and Ruiz followed later with an RBI single to make it a 3-1 game.
The lead was short-lived though as two unearned runs came across in the third inning for UCF thanks in large part to a pair of CSUN errors. However, the Matadors responded once more to take the lead in the fourth as Coffey brought home Arellano on an RBI groundout. CSUN would take a 5-3 lead in the fifth behind a squeeze play where Dalton Vanhille brought home Kai Moody from third base.
UCF crept closer in the home half of the fifth on an RBI single from Tom Josten. CSUN starter Gavin Lizik ran into trouble in the sixth inning as four-straight singles resulted in a tie game. Jayson Newman entered out of the bullpen but walked in the go-ahead run and forced in two more runs on wild pitches.
The Knights extended their lead to 10-5 on a two-run single from Conner Allen in the eighth.
The Matadors were retired in order for the first time since the second inning in the last of the ninth.
GAME NOTES
Schriever's save was his 12th of his career, which puts him just one shy of tying Mike Frick (1999-01) for fourth place in the Matador record book. Both Ruiz and Moody each extended their on-base streaks to 10-straight games.
ACCORDING TO HEAD COACH DAVE SERRANO
"In the first game, it was all about Blaine Traxel and how he just baffled the UCF hitters by keeping them off balance then handing the ball off to Blake Schriever to do what he does late in games. We played very good defense behind both and had some clutch hits off their starter who was pretty good. In game two, on the day it came down to us giving them way too much from the defensive side. Freshman starter Gavin Lizik actually showed great composure for as much as we were breaking down behind him defensively. It definitely was the tale of two different looking teams from game one to game two.
Playing these four-game weekend series is pretty taxing for any team. With us doing it for three weekends with one more to go next weekend, we must find a way to endure the physical wear and tear it takes on our guys' bodies and not allow that to let us breakdown fundamentally and mentally. This trip has been a great learning experience for this team and with one remaining, win or lose Sunday we will be better off in the long run for all the challenges we have encountered."
UP NEXT
The Matadors go for the series split when they conclude their four-game set with UCF. The finale is set for Sunday at 9 a.m. (PST).
#UniteTheValley
Â
GAME ONE
Matador pitching allowed just five hits in the win over the 17th-ranked Knights. Offensively, Arellano and Blake Doremus led the way with two hits apiece while Robert Bullard reached base three times.
Traxel was impressive throughout his seven innings of work on the mound. He retired 12 of the first 14 batters in the ballgame and only allowed two walks through the first four innings. CSUN gave Traxel a bit of run support in the top of the third inning on a Jose Ruiz RBI groundout and a second run on an Arellano one-out home run in the fourth.
The Knights finally broke up Traxel's shutout bid in the fifth inning. The first two batters reached to start the frame then a sacrifice bunt and fielder's choice off the bat of Matt Archer trimmed the lead to 2-1. Traxel would fight out of trouble by retiring the next two batters on popouts to end the threat.
The Matadors added to their lead in the seventh when their bats came alive. Cole Coffey began the rally with a one-out double before Denzel Clarke worked a walk. Two batters later, Bullard delivered with an RBI single. On the play, Pablo Ruiz committed a throwing error, which allowed Clarke to touch home plate as well, giving CSUN a 4-1 lead.
Traxel gave up a one-out home run to Ben McCabe in the seventh but retired two of the next four batters to keep CSUN up by two. Closer Blake Schriever took over in the eighth and surrendered a one-out single before inducing an inning-ending double play. Schriever worked a clean ninth to earn his third save of the season.
GAME TWO
In game two, the Matadors had a 5-4 lead after five innings but the Knights took advantage of CSUN miscues to rally for six runs over their last three at-bats. Clarke finished 2-for-5 with two RBI and a home run to lead the way for the Matadors.
The Knights took advantage of two CSUN errors in the second inning to plate the game's first run. CSUN would answer back in the third inning behind Clarke. The sophomore stroked a two-run home run to put the Matadors in front and Ruiz followed later with an RBI single to make it a 3-1 game.
The lead was short-lived though as two unearned runs came across in the third inning for UCF thanks in large part to a pair of CSUN errors. However, the Matadors responded once more to take the lead in the fourth as Coffey brought home Arellano on an RBI groundout. CSUN would take a 5-3 lead in the fifth behind a squeeze play where Dalton Vanhille brought home Kai Moody from third base.
UCF crept closer in the home half of the fifth on an RBI single from Tom Josten. CSUN starter Gavin Lizik ran into trouble in the sixth inning as four-straight singles resulted in a tie game. Jayson Newman entered out of the bullpen but walked in the go-ahead run and forced in two more runs on wild pitches.
The Knights extended their lead to 10-5 on a two-run single from Conner Allen in the eighth.
The Matadors were retired in order for the first time since the second inning in the last of the ninth.
GAME NOTES
Schriever's save was his 12th of his career, which puts him just one shy of tying Mike Frick (1999-01) for fourth place in the Matador record book. Both Ruiz and Moody each extended their on-base streaks to 10-straight games.
ACCORDING TO HEAD COACH DAVE SERRANO
"In the first game, it was all about Blaine Traxel and how he just baffled the UCF hitters by keeping them off balance then handing the ball off to Blake Schriever to do what he does late in games. We played very good defense behind both and had some clutch hits off their starter who was pretty good. In game two, on the day it came down to us giving them way too much from the defensive side. Freshman starter Gavin Lizik actually showed great composure for as much as we were breaking down behind him defensively. It definitely was the tale of two different looking teams from game one to game two.
Playing these four-game weekend series is pretty taxing for any team. With us doing it for three weekends with one more to go next weekend, we must find a way to endure the physical wear and tear it takes on our guys' bodies and not allow that to let us breakdown fundamentally and mentally. This trip has been a great learning experience for this team and with one remaining, win or lose Sunday we will be better off in the long run for all the challenges we have encountered."
UP NEXT
The Matadors go for the series split when they conclude their four-game set with UCF. The finale is set for Sunday at 9 a.m. (PST).
#UniteTheValley
Â
A Conversation With Dave Serrano
Friday, May 15
Baseball HC reveal 2019
Sunday, June 23
National Student-Athlete Day 2019 - Jayson Newman
Friday, April 05
CSUN Baseball - 27 Miles
Friday, November 09