Sunday, March 1
Orlando, Fla.
9:00 a.m.
California State University at Northridge
8-3
4
at
6
#17 UCF
11-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
CSUN
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
7
4
UCF
0
4
0
1
0
0
0
1
X
6
10
0
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Litchfield,David (2-0)
L: Cartwright, Michael (0-1)
S: Jeff Hakanson (4)
Batting:
2B: Clarke, Denzel 1
RBI: Ruiz, Jose 2 ; Ajamian, Jason 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Clarke, Denzel 1 ; Moody, Kai 1 ; Newman, Jayson 1 ; Arellano, Carlos 1
SB: Arellano, Carlos 1
CS: Doremus, Blake 1 ; Arellano, Carlos 1
HBP: Clarke, Denzel 2 ; Ruiz, Jose 1 ; Ajamian, Jason 1
Batting:
2B: Gephry Pena 1 ; Pablo Ruiz 1
HR: Ben McCabe 1
RBI: Ben McCabe 1 ; Noah Orlando 1
SH: Noah Orlando 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Nick Romano 1 ; Pablo Ruiz 2 ; Ben McCabe 1 ; Noah Orlando 1 ; Archer,Matt 1
SB: Gephry Pena 1 ; Noah Orlando 1
CS: Andrew Brait 1 ; Ben McCabe 1 ; Noah Orlando 1
HBP: Andrew Brait 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
C/OF
/ Baseball
INF/RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
Photo by: Paul Trafecanty
CSUN Falls at #17 UCF in Series Finale
3/1/2020 12:29:00 PM | Baseball
ORLANDO, Fla.---CSUN Baseball (8-3) scored four times in the top of the first inning but No. 17 UCF rallied to take the series finale by a 6-4 final on Sunday at John Euliano Park. Senior Jose Ruiz and junior Jason Ajamian drove in two runs apiece while junior Carlos Arellano finished with two hits and a run scored. Four Matador pitchers saw action on the mound and combined to allow just two earned runs.
GAME BREAKDOWN
The Matadors jumped on the Knights early when Denzel Clarke led off the game with a double. After Kai Moody worked a walk, Ruiz singled to center field to bring in both runs. Jayson Newman and Arellano kept the rally going with singles before Ajamian rifled a two-run single to put the Matadors ahead 4-0.
Earning the spot start for CSUN, Cruz Daddario picked up a timely double play in the first inning to keep the Knights at bay. An inning later, UCF would take advantage of Matador miscues to put up a four spot. Daddario faced a bases loaded one-out situation when Matt Archer hit a drive to center field that was misplayed leading to a run scoring. Moments later, Gephry Pena reached on a throwing error from third base that brought in two more UCF runs. A third CSUN error, this time from the mound, would bring in Archer to tie the game at 4-4.Â
Michael Cartwright finally ended the rally in the bottom of the second, recording the final out. The senior left-hander found his groove on the mound, retiring the side in order in the third but in the fourth UCF picked up a go-ahead home run from Ben McCabe. After the blast, Cartwright settled in and retired two of the next three batters and picked off a runner in-between second and third base to keep it a one-run game.
Senior Jackson Cunningham took over in the fifth with two runners on base and nobody out and received solid defense behind him to squash the rally. Nick Romano popped up into 4-3-5 double play then the tandem of Robert Bullard and Arellano teamed up to throw out Jordan Rathbone trying to score at the plate. Catcher Anthony Gibbons also threw out base runners in the sixth and seventh innings to help Cunningham work clean innings.Â
On the flip side, the Matadors had at least one batter reach in six-straight innings beginning in the third but were turned away every time. In the fifth, CSUN had runners at first and second base with one out but Ruiz and Jayson Newman were retired in order. Newman was also erased in the seventh with two runners on base and two outs.
UCF received an insurance run in the home half of the eighth as Noah Orlando laid down a bunt with less than two outs to bring in Pablo Ruiz from third base.
Jeff Hakanson worked the last two innings, holding CSUN to one hit to pick up the save.
GAME NOTES
In his first career start, Daddario worked 1.2 innings, allowing four runs, none of which were earned, on two hits. Out of the bullpen, Cartwright received the tough luck loss, tossing 2.1 innings with one run allowed. Cunningham did not allow a run in 3.1 innings of work.
Arellano wrapped up the four-game series by going 6-for-14 (.429) at the plate with six hits, three runs and two RBI. Clarke also went 5-for-13 (.385) with five hits and four runs scored. Both Ruiz and Moody each extended their on-base streaks to 11-straight games.
ACCORDING TO HEAD COACH DAVE SERRANO
"Today was a tough day for us. We jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first and with us knowing Daniel Vasquez was scratched we knew we would have to staff it on the mound. We just allowed too many walks and again gave away too much defensively in one inning. We had our chances late but UCF did a much better job in getting the hits when they needed them. Although disappointed with the overall outcome over the weekend, I believe we can learn and grow from this. Too many breakdowns in details in all areas in games we lost and those are things we can go back and work on to get better as a team."
UP NEXT
CSUN continues its road trip with a four-game series at Gonzaga next weekend. The opener is set for Friday, March 6 at 3 p.m.
#UniteTheValley
Â
GAME BREAKDOWN
The Matadors jumped on the Knights early when Denzel Clarke led off the game with a double. After Kai Moody worked a walk, Ruiz singled to center field to bring in both runs. Jayson Newman and Arellano kept the rally going with singles before Ajamian rifled a two-run single to put the Matadors ahead 4-0.
Earning the spot start for CSUN, Cruz Daddario picked up a timely double play in the first inning to keep the Knights at bay. An inning later, UCF would take advantage of Matador miscues to put up a four spot. Daddario faced a bases loaded one-out situation when Matt Archer hit a drive to center field that was misplayed leading to a run scoring. Moments later, Gephry Pena reached on a throwing error from third base that brought in two more UCF runs. A third CSUN error, this time from the mound, would bring in Archer to tie the game at 4-4.Â
Michael Cartwright finally ended the rally in the bottom of the second, recording the final out. The senior left-hander found his groove on the mound, retiring the side in order in the third but in the fourth UCF picked up a go-ahead home run from Ben McCabe. After the blast, Cartwright settled in and retired two of the next three batters and picked off a runner in-between second and third base to keep it a one-run game.
Senior Jackson Cunningham took over in the fifth with two runners on base and nobody out and received solid defense behind him to squash the rally. Nick Romano popped up into 4-3-5 double play then the tandem of Robert Bullard and Arellano teamed up to throw out Jordan Rathbone trying to score at the plate. Catcher Anthony Gibbons also threw out base runners in the sixth and seventh innings to help Cunningham work clean innings.Â
On the flip side, the Matadors had at least one batter reach in six-straight innings beginning in the third but were turned away every time. In the fifth, CSUN had runners at first and second base with one out but Ruiz and Jayson Newman were retired in order. Newman was also erased in the seventh with two runners on base and two outs.
UCF received an insurance run in the home half of the eighth as Noah Orlando laid down a bunt with less than two outs to bring in Pablo Ruiz from third base.
Jeff Hakanson worked the last two innings, holding CSUN to one hit to pick up the save.
GAME NOTES
In his first career start, Daddario worked 1.2 innings, allowing four runs, none of which were earned, on two hits. Out of the bullpen, Cartwright received the tough luck loss, tossing 2.1 innings with one run allowed. Cunningham did not allow a run in 3.1 innings of work.
Arellano wrapped up the four-game series by going 6-for-14 (.429) at the plate with six hits, three runs and two RBI. Clarke also went 5-for-13 (.385) with five hits and four runs scored. Both Ruiz and Moody each extended their on-base streaks to 11-straight games.
ACCORDING TO HEAD COACH DAVE SERRANO
"Today was a tough day for us. We jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first and with us knowing Daniel Vasquez was scratched we knew we would have to staff it on the mound. We just allowed too many walks and again gave away too much defensively in one inning. We had our chances late but UCF did a much better job in getting the hits when they needed them. Although disappointed with the overall outcome over the weekend, I believe we can learn and grow from this. Too many breakdowns in details in all areas in games we lost and those are things we can go back and work on to get better as a team."
UP NEXT
CSUN continues its road trip with a four-game series at Gonzaga next weekend. The opener is set for Friday, March 6 at 3 p.m.
#UniteTheValley
Â
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