Sunday, April 11
Santa Barbara, Calif.
1:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
6-10, 0
7
at
3
#25 UC Santa Barbara
21-9, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
CSUN
0
2
0
0
0
2
3
0
0
7
11
0
UC Santa Barbara
0
0
0
0
0
3
0
0
0
3
6
3
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Traxel, Blaine (2-0)
L: Callahan, James (2-2)
Batting:
2B: Moody, Kai 1
3B: Le, Mason 1 ; Bullard, Robert 1
HR: Ball, Ryan 1
RBI: Bullard, Robert 1 ; Moody, Kai 1 ; Ball, Ryan 1 ; Arellano, Carlos 1 ; Bohning, Brandon 1
SF: Moody, Kai 1 ; Arellano, Carlos 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Le, Mason 1 ; Bullard, Robert 1 ; Moody, Kai 1 ; Ball, Ryan 1 ; Ruiz, Jose 1 ; Arellano, Carlos 1 ; Powell, Luke 1
PO: Bohning, Brandon 1
Batting:
2B: Cummings, Cole 1
HR: Mortensen, Broc 1
RBI: Mortensen, Broc 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Sprinkle, Jordan 1 ; Mortensen, Broc 1 ; Bloom, Gianni 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
lf/rf
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
0
rf/cf
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
Photo by: Braden Villanueva
Traxel Goes the Distance, CSUN Takes the Finale from #25 UCSB
4/11/2021 4:03:00 PM | Baseball
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.---Behind Blaine Traxel's complete game, CSUN Baseball (6-10, 6-10 Big West) won its series finale with No. 25 UC Santa Barbara (21-9, 12-4 Big West) 7-3 on Sunday afternoon at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium. Traxel pitched a career-high nine innings and tied a personal-best in strikeouts with seven while he allowed three runs on six hits. Freshman Luke Powell went 3-for-4 with a run scored and Ryan Ball collected two hits including his second home run of the season.
GAME BREAKDOWN
The Matadors gave Traxel early run support by scoring two runs all with two outs in the second inning. After back-to-back singles from Carlos Arellano and Powell, Brandon Bohning drove a perfectly-placed double down the right-field line that plated one run. On the play, Powell would touch home plate as well after an error from right fielder Zach Rodriguez.
Over the first five innings, it seemed that the two runs would be enough for Traxel, who kept the Gaucho hitters off-balance throughout Sunday's contest. Traxel would give up a leadoff double to start the first and a single to kick off the second but neither base runner advanced further in either of those frames.
Traxel retired eight-straight UCSB hitters until a leadoff single from Christian Kirtley to begin the fifth inning. The right-hander though bounced back by striking out Bryce Willits and sitting down Steele Ledford and Jason Willow on lineouts.
In the sixth, the Matadors' offense struck again to add to their lead. Kai Moody doubled to start the frame then moved to third on a one-out bunt single from Jose Ruiz. Arellano delivered with a sacrifice fly to put the Matadors ahead by three. Moments later, Powell kept the inning alive with a single before Bohning hit a hard-hit grounder to short that Jordan Sprinkle could not handle, giving Ruiz a chance to score on the play.
The only blemish against Traxel would come in the sixth inning. After singles from Gianni Bloom and Sprinkle, Broc Mortensen homered to left field to bring UCSB within 4-3. Traxel bounced back though to retire the next two batters to give the Matadors a chance to respond in the seventh.
Mason Le rifled a one-out triple in the seventh, bringing Robert Bullard to the plate. Bullard hit a towering drive to right field that Rodriguez lost in the sun resulting in a triple for the CSUN senior. Moody added another run on a sacrifice fly then Ball belted a solo home run over the right-field wall to put CSUN ahead 7-3.
After a three-run seventh, Traxel and the Matador defense would take over. Traxel retired the sides in order in the seventh and in the eighth inning. In the UCSB eighth, the Matadors received an outstanding defensive play in center with Moody running down a deep drive by Cole Cummings where the senior crashed feet first into the wall.
Traxel returned to the mound in the ninth and finished what he started, striking out two batters in a clean ninth to seal the win.
GAME NOTES
Traxel needed 95 pitches to record his second career complete game. He also recorded 73 strikes on the afternoon. Traxel retired the final 11 batters he faced in the game.
Ball extended his on-base streak to 15-straight games after a two-hit performance on Sunday. In all, eight Matadors recorded hits in the game and seven scored at least one run.
ACCORDING TO HEAD COACH DAVE SERRANO
"Today was a very good game for our team, especially after coming off of two tough days. My hope is that each member of this team realizes that today's game is a road map of success for now and the future of this program. Great pitching by Blaine Traxel, really good defense, Kai Moody's catch may be one of the best I've ever seen and the efficient offense. I thought when UCSB put a three-spot on the board to cut the lead to 4-3, the way our team responded in the top half of the inning with three runs was the backbreaker. We didn't get what we wanted when we arrived for this series but we hope to build off what we saw today."
UP NEXT
CSUN opens up an eight-game homestand next Friday when it kicks off a four-game series with UC Riverside. First pitch for the opener is set for 3 p.m. An audio broadcast will be available at GoMatadors.com/Radio with Ghizal Hasan on the call.
#UniteTheValley
Â
GAME BREAKDOWN
The Matadors gave Traxel early run support by scoring two runs all with two outs in the second inning. After back-to-back singles from Carlos Arellano and Powell, Brandon Bohning drove a perfectly-placed double down the right-field line that plated one run. On the play, Powell would touch home plate as well after an error from right fielder Zach Rodriguez.
Over the first five innings, it seemed that the two runs would be enough for Traxel, who kept the Gaucho hitters off-balance throughout Sunday's contest. Traxel would give up a leadoff double to start the first and a single to kick off the second but neither base runner advanced further in either of those frames.
Traxel retired eight-straight UCSB hitters until a leadoff single from Christian Kirtley to begin the fifth inning. The right-hander though bounced back by striking out Bryce Willits and sitting down Steele Ledford and Jason Willow on lineouts.
In the sixth, the Matadors' offense struck again to add to their lead. Kai Moody doubled to start the frame then moved to third on a one-out bunt single from Jose Ruiz. Arellano delivered with a sacrifice fly to put the Matadors ahead by three. Moments later, Powell kept the inning alive with a single before Bohning hit a hard-hit grounder to short that Jordan Sprinkle could not handle, giving Ruiz a chance to score on the play.
The only blemish against Traxel would come in the sixth inning. After singles from Gianni Bloom and Sprinkle, Broc Mortensen homered to left field to bring UCSB within 4-3. Traxel bounced back though to retire the next two batters to give the Matadors a chance to respond in the seventh.
Mason Le rifled a one-out triple in the seventh, bringing Robert Bullard to the plate. Bullard hit a towering drive to right field that Rodriguez lost in the sun resulting in a triple for the CSUN senior. Moody added another run on a sacrifice fly then Ball belted a solo home run over the right-field wall to put CSUN ahead 7-3.
After a three-run seventh, Traxel and the Matador defense would take over. Traxel retired the sides in order in the seventh and in the eighth inning. In the UCSB eighth, the Matadors received an outstanding defensive play in center with Moody running down a deep drive by Cole Cummings where the senior crashed feet first into the wall.
Traxel returned to the mound in the ninth and finished what he started, striking out two batters in a clean ninth to seal the win.
GAME NOTES
Traxel needed 95 pitches to record his second career complete game. He also recorded 73 strikes on the afternoon. Traxel retired the final 11 batters he faced in the game.
Ball extended his on-base streak to 15-straight games after a two-hit performance on Sunday. In all, eight Matadors recorded hits in the game and seven scored at least one run.
ACCORDING TO HEAD COACH DAVE SERRANO
"Today was a very good game for our team, especially after coming off of two tough days. My hope is that each member of this team realizes that today's game is a road map of success for now and the future of this program. Great pitching by Blaine Traxel, really good defense, Kai Moody's catch may be one of the best I've ever seen and the efficient offense. I thought when UCSB put a three-spot on the board to cut the lead to 4-3, the way our team responded in the top half of the inning with three runs was the backbreaker. We didn't get what we wanted when we arrived for this series but we hope to build off what we saw today."
UP NEXT
CSUN opens up an eight-game homestand next Friday when it kicks off a four-game series with UC Riverside. First pitch for the opener is set for 3 p.m. An audio broadcast will be available at GoMatadors.com/Radio with Ghizal Hasan on the call.
#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