Sunday, April 18
Northridge, Calif.
1:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
7-13, 7-13
15
vs
8
UC Riverside
10-17, 8-12
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
UC Riverside
0
1
0
0
5
2
0
0
0
8
10
4
CSUN
2
0
3
2
1
4
2
1
X
15
15
0
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Traxel, Blaine (3-1)
L: Eric Marrujo (1-4)
Batting:
2B: Dylan Orick 1 ; Anthony Mata 1
HR: Nathan Webb 1 ; Joey Nicolai 1 ; Ethan Payne 1
RBI: Nathan Webb 3 ; Joey Nicolai 3 ; Ethan Payne 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Jacob Shanks 1 ; Dylan Orick 1 ; Nathan Webb 1 ; Anthony Mata 1 ; Cole Pofek 1 ; Joey Nicolai 2 ; Ethan Payne 1
HBP: Ely Stuart 1 ; Jacob Shanks 1
Batting:
2B: Moody, Kai 1 ; Ruiz, Jose 1 ; Ball, Ryan 1
HR: Newman, Jayson 1 ; Clarke, Denzel 1
RBI: Le, Mason 1 ; Moody, Kai 2 ; Newman, Jayson 1 ; Clarke, Denzel 4 ; Ajamian, Jason 1 ; Yogi, CJ 1
SF: Moody, Kai 1 ; Ajamian, Jason 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bullard, Robert 1 ; Le, Mason 2 ; Ruiz, Jose 2 ; Ball, Ryan 3 ; Newman, Jayson 1 ; Clarke, Denzel 3 ; Yogi, CJ 1 ; Bohning, Brandon 2
SB: Bullard, Robert 1 ; Le, Mason 2 ; Yogi, CJ 1 ; Bohning, Brandon 2
HBP: Le, Mason 1 ; Moody, Kai 1 ; Bohning, Brandon 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
3
H
4
RBI
4
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
1B
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
1B/RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
Photo by: Braden Villanueva
CSUN Scores Season-High 15 Runs, Takes Series Finale from UC Riverside
4/18/2021 5:05:00 PM | Baseball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball (7-13, 7-13 Big West) scored a season-high in runs as the Matadors salvaged the series finale with UC Riverside (10-17, 8-12 Big West), prevailing 15-8 on Sunday afternoon at Matador Field. Denzel Clarke had a career day at the plate, recording a personal-best four hits and four RBI with a home run. On the mound, Blaine Traxel went the distance for the second-straight Sunday to earn the victory.
GAME BREAKDOWN
CSUN opened up the scoring in the opening inning as the first four batters reached base to start the frame. After Robert Bullard walked and Mason Le singled, Kai Moody rifled an RBI double to right-center field. The Matadors drew two more walks in the inning with Clarke's free pass forcing in a run to make it 2-0.
In the second inning, the Highlanders cut the lead in half on a two-out RBI single from Joey Nicolai. Traxel though rebounded after the single, retiring seven of the next eight batters.
Meanwhile, the Matadors' offense exploded over the middle innings. In the third, the Matadors nearly began the inning with a cycle. Jose Ruiz doubled to start the inning then Ryan Ball singled and Clarke belted a three-run home run. In the fourth, CSUN pushed across two runs, capitalizing off UCR miscues. Both runs scored following errors while Clarke picked up another single with two outs.
Traxel cruised until the fifth inning when the Highlanders turned to the long ball. UC Riverside picked up four hits in the inning including two home runs with the big blow coming from Nathan Webb who hit a three-run homer. Webb's blast brought UCR to within 7-6 before Traxel retired Anthony Mata to finally end the inning.
CSUN would get a run back on a sacrifice fly from Moody in the bottom of the fifth but the Highlanders struck again in the sixth, tying the game at 8-8 on a two-run home run. Once again, Traxel would right the ship, retiring the next three batters in order after the home run to give the Matadors a chance to respond moments later.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Matadors answered right back with another four-run inning to go ahead 12-8. Ball doubled and Clarke singled to kick off the inning, setting the stage for Jason Ajamian to hit a sacrifice fly. CJ Yogi added to the lead with an RBI single before Le brought home another on a fielder's choice. Brandon Bohning, who walked earlier in the frame, also touched home plate on a passed ball.
The Matadors continued to tack on runs in the seventh with two more runs before Jayson Newman belted a pinch-hit home run that sailed over the left-field wall in the eighth.
Pitching with the lead, Traxel went to work on the mound. After giving up the game-tying home run in the sixth, he retired the side in order in the seventh and only gave up a two-out single in the eighth. Traxel would finish what he started with a 1-2-3 ninth inning to pick up the complete game. In all, Traxel sat down 12 of the final 13 batters of the game.
GAME NOTES
After a three-hit game, Ball extended his on-base streak to 19-straight games. Bullard saw his seven-game hit streak end but he reached base four times on walks. Moody recorded his third multiple-RBI game of the season. Clarke has homered four times this season while Newman now has two homers.
In all, eight Matadors scored at least one run in the game and recorded a hit in the game.
ACCORDING TO HEAD COACH DAVE SERRANO
"As we're learning as a coaching staff, today was a typical Matador Field type of game, hot with the wind blowing out so I knew today was going to be an offensive day. We did string together some good at-bats. Coach Walton and coach Cornejo have really focused on utilizing the whole field. I think our guys did a good job with that. There's the Blaine Traxel theory. Here's a young man that goes out and keeps battling, another CG today. He just has the heart of a lion.
I shared with the team that I don't expect anything to come easy to us. As corny as it sounds, it's kind of the baseball gods showing us we have to continue to build this program and fight through adversity. It's going to make us better in the end."
UP NEXT
CSUN opens a four-game series with Cal State Fullerton at Matador Field on Friday at 3 p.m. The opener will stream live on BigWest.TV with Ghizal Hasan on the call.
#UniteTheValley
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GAME BREAKDOWN
CSUN opened up the scoring in the opening inning as the first four batters reached base to start the frame. After Robert Bullard walked and Mason Le singled, Kai Moody rifled an RBI double to right-center field. The Matadors drew two more walks in the inning with Clarke's free pass forcing in a run to make it 2-0.
In the second inning, the Highlanders cut the lead in half on a two-out RBI single from Joey Nicolai. Traxel though rebounded after the single, retiring seven of the next eight batters.
Meanwhile, the Matadors' offense exploded over the middle innings. In the third, the Matadors nearly began the inning with a cycle. Jose Ruiz doubled to start the inning then Ryan Ball singled and Clarke belted a three-run home run. In the fourth, CSUN pushed across two runs, capitalizing off UCR miscues. Both runs scored following errors while Clarke picked up another single with two outs.
Traxel cruised until the fifth inning when the Highlanders turned to the long ball. UC Riverside picked up four hits in the inning including two home runs with the big blow coming from Nathan Webb who hit a three-run homer. Webb's blast brought UCR to within 7-6 before Traxel retired Anthony Mata to finally end the inning.
CSUN would get a run back on a sacrifice fly from Moody in the bottom of the fifth but the Highlanders struck again in the sixth, tying the game at 8-8 on a two-run home run. Once again, Traxel would right the ship, retiring the next three batters in order after the home run to give the Matadors a chance to respond moments later.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Matadors answered right back with another four-run inning to go ahead 12-8. Ball doubled and Clarke singled to kick off the inning, setting the stage for Jason Ajamian to hit a sacrifice fly. CJ Yogi added to the lead with an RBI single before Le brought home another on a fielder's choice. Brandon Bohning, who walked earlier in the frame, also touched home plate on a passed ball.
The Matadors continued to tack on runs in the seventh with two more runs before Jayson Newman belted a pinch-hit home run that sailed over the left-field wall in the eighth.
Pitching with the lead, Traxel went to work on the mound. After giving up the game-tying home run in the sixth, he retired the side in order in the seventh and only gave up a two-out single in the eighth. Traxel would finish what he started with a 1-2-3 ninth inning to pick up the complete game. In all, Traxel sat down 12 of the final 13 batters of the game.
GAME NOTES
After a three-hit game, Ball extended his on-base streak to 19-straight games. Bullard saw his seven-game hit streak end but he reached base four times on walks. Moody recorded his third multiple-RBI game of the season. Clarke has homered four times this season while Newman now has two homers.
In all, eight Matadors scored at least one run in the game and recorded a hit in the game.
ACCORDING TO HEAD COACH DAVE SERRANO
"As we're learning as a coaching staff, today was a typical Matador Field type of game, hot with the wind blowing out so I knew today was going to be an offensive day. We did string together some good at-bats. Coach Walton and coach Cornejo have really focused on utilizing the whole field. I think our guys did a good job with that. There's the Blaine Traxel theory. Here's a young man that goes out and keeps battling, another CG today. He just has the heart of a lion.
I shared with the team that I don't expect anything to come easy to us. As corny as it sounds, it's kind of the baseball gods showing us we have to continue to build this program and fight through adversity. It's going to make us better in the end."
UP NEXT
CSUN opens a four-game series with Cal State Fullerton at Matador Field on Friday at 3 p.m. The opener will stream live on BigWest.TV with Ghizal Hasan on the call.
#UniteTheValley
Â
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