Sunday, March 28
Long Beach, Calif.
1:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
3-5, 3-5
6
at
1
Long Beach State
3-5, 3-5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
CSUN
0
1
2
1
0
0
0
0
2
6
12
1
Long Beach State
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
9
1
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Traxel, Blaine (1-0)
L: Pacheco, Basilio (0-1)
S: Schriever, Blake (2)
Batting:
2B: Moody, Kai 1 ; Ruiz, Jose 1 ; Ajamian, Jason 1
HR: Skelly, Sean 1
RBI: Skelly, Sean 3 ; Ajamian, Jason 2
SH: Ajamian, Jason 1 ; Arellano, Carlos 1 ; Silvis, Bobby 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Moody, Kai 1 ; Ruiz, Jose 2 ; Skelly, Sean 2 ; Arellano, Carlos 1
SB: Ball, Ryan 1
CS: Moody, Kai 1 ; Ball, Ryan 1
Batting:
2B: Jimenez, Chris 1
RBI: Craig, Toren 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jimenez, Chris 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
Players Mentioned
1B
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballC
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
Photo by: Braden Villanueva
Matadors Earn Series Split at Long Beach State
3/28/2021 5:04:00 PM | Baseball
LONG BEACH, Calif.---Blaine Traxel tossed seven quality innings and Sean Skelly drove in three runs to help CSUN Baseball (3-5, 3-5 Big West) earn a series split with Long Beach State (3-5, 3-5 Big West) and win 6-1 on Sunday afternoon at Blair Field. Traxel scattered eight hits and allowed just one unearned run to go with four strikeouts. Skelly homered for the second time this season and finished with three hits and two runs scored.
The Matadors scored four runs over the first four innings while Traxel frustrated the Dirtbag batters throughout the day en route to a CSUN victory in the series finale.
GAME BREAKDOWN
Traxel would get run support early as CSUN jumped ahead in the top of the second. Leading off the inning, Skelly deposited a 1-0 pitch well over the left-field fence to put the Matadors ahead 1-0.
Skelly would come through again in the third inning with another key hit. After Kai Moody legged out an infield single with one out, Jose Ruiz drove a double off the left-field wall to put runners at second and third base. Skelly stepped to the plate next and delivered a single through the left side of the infield plating two runs for the Matadors.
A Long Beach State miscue in the fourth inning resulted in the Matadors' fourth run of the afternoon. Three walks loaded the bases with two outs in the frame before Ruiz hit a grounder to short. Tanner Carlson would not be able to field the groundball, resulting in Carlos Arellano touching home plate.
Pitching with the lead, Traxel would baffle the Long Beach State hitters consistently. After a one-out single in the second inning, Traxel retired nine-straight batters. The Dirtbags threatened again in the fifth inning with two singles but Traxel fanned Charlie Loust to end that frame. Traxel continued to work on the mound in the sixth where he gave up a two-out infield single before retiring the next batter.
Long Beach State cracked the scoring column in the bottom of the seventh, capitalizing on a CSUN error. With one out, Chris Jimenez doubled to right field. The ball would not be fielded cleanly, giving Jimenez a chance to move up to third base. Traxel retired Toren Craig on a groundball but Jimenez scored on the play. The run would be the only blemish in the inning against Traxel as the right-hander struck out Devereaux Harrison to end the inning.
Traxel's afternoon would come to an end in the top of the eighth when leadoff batter Chase Luttrell singled. Blake Schriever came on in relief and promptly retired three of the next four batters to keep CSUN ahead by three.
The Matadors provided Schriever with insurance in the top of ninth after a key two-out hit. With Ruiz and Skelly on base, Jason Ajamian rifled a double off the glove of center fielder Connor Kokx. Both runners scored on the play to put the Matadors ahead 6-1.
Schriever returned to the mound in the bottom of the ninth and struck out the first two batters. CSUN's stopper would nail down a save by retiring Kokx on a popout.
GAME NOTES
Schriever collected his 15th career save to move into sole possession of second place on the Matadors' career save list.
Ryan Ball finished 3-for-4 at the plate with a walk while Ruiz and Moody had two hits apiece. Moody posted his fifth multiple-hit game of the season and extended his hit streak to eight in a row.
ACCORDING TO HEAD COACH DAVE SERRANO
"I'm proud of how our team bounced back after a tough day yesterday. As I said yesterday, today was a big game for us, even though it's still early and they responded. Blaine Traxel set the tone with his ability to keep Long Beach off balance. Sean Skelly and Ryan Ball set the tone from the offensive side. Now we get back to work this week to keep trying to improve this team."
UP NEXT
CSUN opens up a four-game series with UC Irvine at Matador Field on Friday. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. Ghizal Hasan will be on the call in an audio broadcast at GoMatadors.com/Radio.
#UniteTheValley
The Matadors scored four runs over the first four innings while Traxel frustrated the Dirtbag batters throughout the day en route to a CSUN victory in the series finale.
GAME BREAKDOWN
Traxel would get run support early as CSUN jumped ahead in the top of the second. Leading off the inning, Skelly deposited a 1-0 pitch well over the left-field fence to put the Matadors ahead 1-0.
Skelly would come through again in the third inning with another key hit. After Kai Moody legged out an infield single with one out, Jose Ruiz drove a double off the left-field wall to put runners at second and third base. Skelly stepped to the plate next and delivered a single through the left side of the infield plating two runs for the Matadors.
A Long Beach State miscue in the fourth inning resulted in the Matadors' fourth run of the afternoon. Three walks loaded the bases with two outs in the frame before Ruiz hit a grounder to short. Tanner Carlson would not be able to field the groundball, resulting in Carlos Arellano touching home plate.
Pitching with the lead, Traxel would baffle the Long Beach State hitters consistently. After a one-out single in the second inning, Traxel retired nine-straight batters. The Dirtbags threatened again in the fifth inning with two singles but Traxel fanned Charlie Loust to end that frame. Traxel continued to work on the mound in the sixth where he gave up a two-out infield single before retiring the next batter.
Long Beach State cracked the scoring column in the bottom of the seventh, capitalizing on a CSUN error. With one out, Chris Jimenez doubled to right field. The ball would not be fielded cleanly, giving Jimenez a chance to move up to third base. Traxel retired Toren Craig on a groundball but Jimenez scored on the play. The run would be the only blemish in the inning against Traxel as the right-hander struck out Devereaux Harrison to end the inning.
Traxel's afternoon would come to an end in the top of the eighth when leadoff batter Chase Luttrell singled. Blake Schriever came on in relief and promptly retired three of the next four batters to keep CSUN ahead by three.
The Matadors provided Schriever with insurance in the top of ninth after a key two-out hit. With Ruiz and Skelly on base, Jason Ajamian rifled a double off the glove of center fielder Connor Kokx. Both runners scored on the play to put the Matadors ahead 6-1.
Schriever returned to the mound in the bottom of the ninth and struck out the first two batters. CSUN's stopper would nail down a save by retiring Kokx on a popout.
GAME NOTES
Schriever collected his 15th career save to move into sole possession of second place on the Matadors' career save list.
Ryan Ball finished 3-for-4 at the plate with a walk while Ruiz and Moody had two hits apiece. Moody posted his fifth multiple-hit game of the season and extended his hit streak to eight in a row.
ACCORDING TO HEAD COACH DAVE SERRANO
"I'm proud of how our team bounced back after a tough day yesterday. As I said yesterday, today was a big game for us, even though it's still early and they responded. Blaine Traxel set the tone with his ability to keep Long Beach off balance. Sean Skelly and Ryan Ball set the tone from the offensive side. Now we get back to work this week to keep trying to improve this team."
UP NEXT
CSUN opens up a four-game series with UC Irvine at Matador Field on Friday. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. Ghizal Hasan will be on the call in an audio broadcast at GoMatadors.com/Radio.
#UniteTheValley
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