Saturday, March 27
Long Beach, Calif.
12:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
2-4, 2-4
3
at
7
Long Beach State
2-4, 2-4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
CSUN
1
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
3
5
3
Long Beach State
0
0
0
1
3
2
0
1
X
7
8
0
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ramirez, Luis (1-1)
L: Tillman, Zuko (0-1)
S: Harrison, Devereaux (2)
Batting:
HR: Mendoza, Angel 1
RBI: Ball, Ryan 1 ; Mendoza, Angel 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Moody, Kai 2 ; Mendoza, Angel 1
SB: Moody, Kai 1 ; Bravo, Jacob 1
CS: Arellano, Carlos 1
Batting:
2B: Rozell, Brennan 1
HR: Loust, Charlie 1
RBI: Loust, Charlie 2 ; Malm, Aidan 1 ; Rozell, Brennan 1
SH: Kokx, Connor 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kokx, Connor 1 ; Loust, Charlie 2 ; Malm, Aidan 1 ; Luttrell, Chase 1 ; Carlson, Tanner 2
SB: Kokx, Connor 1 ; Malm, Aidan 1
HBP: Rozell, Brennan 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
1B
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballINF/OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballC
/ Baseball
1B/RHP
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
UTIL
/ Baseball
Photo by: Braden Villanueva
Matadors Drop Both Games to Long Beach State
3/27/2021 7:40:00 PM | Baseball
LONG BEACH, Calif.---Long Beach State (3-4, 3-4 Big West) swept Saturday's doubleheader with CSUN Baseball (2-5, 2-5 Big West) at Blair Field. The Matadors dropped the opener 7-3 and fell in the nightcap 10-5.
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GAME ONE RECAP
CSUN led in the early innings of Saturday's opener but the Dirtbags scored six runs over the middle innings and held on for the win.
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Much like last night's ninth inning, the Matadors put together a two-out rally in the top of the first to crack the scoring column.
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Kai Moody kept the inning alive with a single through the right side. After Jacob Bravo singled to move Moody to third base, the Matadors put on a play for both base runners to be in motion with Jason Ajamian at the plate. The Dirtbags' defense forced both runners to return to their respective bases initially but CSUN attempted the play again moments later. In what turned into a double steal, Moody broke for the plate and beat the throw home to give CSUN a 1-0 lead.
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Matador starter Zuko Tillman impressed in the early going on the mound. The lefty retired 10 of the first 12 batters he faced including striking out five batters along the way. Tillman escaped a jam in the second inning where he left two runners on base while he struck out the side in the bottom of the third.
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CSUN added to its lead in the top of the fourth after a key two-out hit. Moody again began the rally with a leadoff walk. After moving up to second on a groundout and to third on a flyout, Moody touched home plate on an RBI single from Ryan Ball.
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Tillman appeared to be cruising on the mound until a one-out bunt single from Chase Luttrell in the bottom of the fourth. Brennan Rozell would put Long Beach State on the board with a two-out double to cut the CSUN lead in half.
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In the home half of the fifth, two of the first three batters reached on singles forcing Tillman to be lifted from the game. Jayson Newman came on in relief but gave up an RBI single to Aidan Malm. Newman retired the next batter before walking two batters and throwing two wild pitches to force in two runs.
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The Dirtbags added to their slim lead in the sixth on a one-out, two-run home run from Charlie Loust.
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Long Beach State starter Luis Ramirez had retired seven-straight batters until Angel Mendoza belted a solo home run in the top of the seventh to bring CSUN to within 6-3.
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However, the Matadors would not draw closer. Long Beach State added another run in the eighth while Devereaux Harrison tossed two shutout innings to close out a win for the Dirtbags.
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GAME TWO RECAP
CSUN trailed by two runs in the fifth inning but a four-run Dirtbag frame broke the game open and would lead to a Long Beach State win in game two.
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Long Beach State took advantage of a Matador miscue to stake to a 1-0 lead in the first. With a runner at second and nobody out, a fielding error at shortstop allowed Loust to reach base. Jonathan Long would connect for a two-out RBI single.
Over the next two innings, the Dirtbags plated four runs, highlighted by home runs from Jesse Lopez and Calvin Estrada, to lead 5-0.Â
The Matadors left the bases loaded in the third inning but finally broke through in the fourth on a one-out RBI single from Carlos Arellano that plated Jose Ruiz.
In the top of the fifth, CSUN chipped away at the deficit with a two-out rally. After Ajamian doubled, Sean Skelly put the Matadors on the scoreboard with an RBI single. Bravo kept the inning alive with a single then Ruiz cut the Dirtbag lead to 5-3 on an RBI single of his own.
With its lead down to two, Long Beach State received a timely hit that blew the game open. Three singles loaded the bases with one out in the inning before Estrada delivered the big blow, a grand slam to right-center field that put the Dirtbags ahead 9-3.
CSUN kept fighting in the late innings, recording single tallies in the eighth and ninth innings but it would not be enough to overcome the deficit. In the eighth, Denzel Clarke drove in Nathan Barraza with a one-out RBI single. Ruiz would collect his third hit of the game with an RBI single in the ninth to bring home Dalton Vanhille.
Jeremy Hassel worked the final two innings out of the bullpen for CSUN and allowed a run in the bottom of the eighth.
GAME NOTES
Moody continued his hot start to 2021 with a hit in each game. He has now hit safely in all seven games this season.
Ruiz tied a career-high in hits by going 3-for-4 in game two of the doubleheader. Skelly also reached base safely three times in game two as he walked twice and singled.
ACCORDING TO HEAD COACH DAVE SERRANO
"Today was a replica of last week versus Cal Poly. After a big opening series win, our team didn't respond well in the doubleheader today. We gave too many things away on the mound and on defense, which led to two of Long Beach State's big innings in both games. Being good consistently sometimes means how do you handle success and continue to respond. But it also means when you get knocked down how quickly do you get back up. We haven't handled either very well to this point. I know it's early in the season but tomorrow's finale is a big game for us."
UP NEXT
The Matadors seek the series split on Sunday when they conclude their series with Long Beach State. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. on BigWest.TV.
#UniteTheValley
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GAME ONE RECAP
CSUN led in the early innings of Saturday's opener but the Dirtbags scored six runs over the middle innings and held on for the win.
Â
Much like last night's ninth inning, the Matadors put together a two-out rally in the top of the first to crack the scoring column.
Â
Kai Moody kept the inning alive with a single through the right side. After Jacob Bravo singled to move Moody to third base, the Matadors put on a play for both base runners to be in motion with Jason Ajamian at the plate. The Dirtbags' defense forced both runners to return to their respective bases initially but CSUN attempted the play again moments later. In what turned into a double steal, Moody broke for the plate and beat the throw home to give CSUN a 1-0 lead.
Â
Matador starter Zuko Tillman impressed in the early going on the mound. The lefty retired 10 of the first 12 batters he faced including striking out five batters along the way. Tillman escaped a jam in the second inning where he left two runners on base while he struck out the side in the bottom of the third.
Â
CSUN added to its lead in the top of the fourth after a key two-out hit. Moody again began the rally with a leadoff walk. After moving up to second on a groundout and to third on a flyout, Moody touched home plate on an RBI single from Ryan Ball.
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Tillman appeared to be cruising on the mound until a one-out bunt single from Chase Luttrell in the bottom of the fourth. Brennan Rozell would put Long Beach State on the board with a two-out double to cut the CSUN lead in half.
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In the home half of the fifth, two of the first three batters reached on singles forcing Tillman to be lifted from the game. Jayson Newman came on in relief but gave up an RBI single to Aidan Malm. Newman retired the next batter before walking two batters and throwing two wild pitches to force in two runs.
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The Dirtbags added to their slim lead in the sixth on a one-out, two-run home run from Charlie Loust.
Â
Long Beach State starter Luis Ramirez had retired seven-straight batters until Angel Mendoza belted a solo home run in the top of the seventh to bring CSUN to within 6-3.
Â
However, the Matadors would not draw closer. Long Beach State added another run in the eighth while Devereaux Harrison tossed two shutout innings to close out a win for the Dirtbags.
Â
GAME TWO RECAP
CSUN trailed by two runs in the fifth inning but a four-run Dirtbag frame broke the game open and would lead to a Long Beach State win in game two.
Â
Long Beach State took advantage of a Matador miscue to stake to a 1-0 lead in the first. With a runner at second and nobody out, a fielding error at shortstop allowed Loust to reach base. Jonathan Long would connect for a two-out RBI single.
Over the next two innings, the Dirtbags plated four runs, highlighted by home runs from Jesse Lopez and Calvin Estrada, to lead 5-0.Â
The Matadors left the bases loaded in the third inning but finally broke through in the fourth on a one-out RBI single from Carlos Arellano that plated Jose Ruiz.
In the top of the fifth, CSUN chipped away at the deficit with a two-out rally. After Ajamian doubled, Sean Skelly put the Matadors on the scoreboard with an RBI single. Bravo kept the inning alive with a single then Ruiz cut the Dirtbag lead to 5-3 on an RBI single of his own.
With its lead down to two, Long Beach State received a timely hit that blew the game open. Three singles loaded the bases with one out in the inning before Estrada delivered the big blow, a grand slam to right-center field that put the Dirtbags ahead 9-3.
CSUN kept fighting in the late innings, recording single tallies in the eighth and ninth innings but it would not be enough to overcome the deficit. In the eighth, Denzel Clarke drove in Nathan Barraza with a one-out RBI single. Ruiz would collect his third hit of the game with an RBI single in the ninth to bring home Dalton Vanhille.
Jeremy Hassel worked the final two innings out of the bullpen for CSUN and allowed a run in the bottom of the eighth.
GAME NOTES
Moody continued his hot start to 2021 with a hit in each game. He has now hit safely in all seven games this season.
Ruiz tied a career-high in hits by going 3-for-4 in game two of the doubleheader. Skelly also reached base safely three times in game two as he walked twice and singled.
ACCORDING TO HEAD COACH DAVE SERRANO
"Today was a replica of last week versus Cal Poly. After a big opening series win, our team didn't respond well in the doubleheader today. We gave too many things away on the mound and on defense, which led to two of Long Beach State's big innings in both games. Being good consistently sometimes means how do you handle success and continue to respond. But it also means when you get knocked down how quickly do you get back up. We haven't handled either very well to this point. I know it's early in the season but tomorrow's finale is a big game for us."
UP NEXT
The Matadors seek the series split on Sunday when they conclude their series with Long Beach State. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. on BigWest.TV.
#UniteTheValley
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