Friday, February 25
Northridge, Calif.
2:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
2-2
8
vs
3
Pacific
4-1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Pacific
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
2
0
3
7
1
CSUN
0
0
0
3
3
0
2
0
X
8
8
0
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Traxel, Blaine (1-1)
L: Elijah Birdsong (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Chaz Myers 1 ; Colby Canales 1
RBI: Thomas Gavello 1 ; James Arakawa 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Chaz Myers 1 ; Colby Canales 2
PO: Thomas Gavello 1
Batting:
2B: Moody, Kai 1
HR: Moody, Kai 1 ; Gonzalez, Gabe 2
RBI: Moody, Kai 2 ; Kramer, Joey 1 ; Gonzalez, Gabe 4
Base Running:
RUNS: Camarillo, Ali 1 ; Moody, Kai 2 ; Sojka, Andrew 1 ; Kramer, Joey 1 ; Gonzalez, Gabe 2 ; Porter, Drew 1
CS: Bohning, Brandon 1
HBP: Camarillo, Ali 1 ; Gonzalez, Gabe 1 ; Garcia, Sebastian 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
4
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
Photo by: Braden Villanueva
Matadors Take Series Opener from Pacific, 8-3
2/25/2022 5:03:00 PM | Baseball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball (2-2) received seven quality innings from Blaine Traxel and three home runs on the offensive end in an 8-3 win over Pacific on Friday at Matador Field. Traxel allowed one unearned run and no walks to go with three strikeouts. Gabe Gonzalez homered twice and finished with four RBI while Kai Moody had two hits, two RBI and a home run as well.
Traxel kept the Tigers off balanced throughout his time on the mound on Friday, scattering five hits. The right-hander yielded two hits through the first five innings, facing one over the minimum and would not allow base runner to reach scoring position until the sixth inning.
Pacific starter Elijah Birdsong would blank the Matadors in the early innings as well. He tip-toed out of danger in the second inning, leaving the bases loaded but would run into trouble in the fourth inning. After a leadoff walk drawn by Andrew Sojka, Gonzalez belted a mammoth two-run home run to left field to put CSUN on the scoreboard. The Matadors added a third run later in the fourth when Sebastian Garcia singled to left field and outfielder Ben Nemivant misplayed the ball. Drew Porter would score all the way from first base on the error, making it a 3-0 game.
CSUN matched its fourth-inning output again an inning later as Moody began the rally with a one-out double. Joey Kramer followed with an RBI single before Gonzalez homered again, this time to center field, pushing the CSUN lead to 6-0.
Pacific capitalized on a CSUN miscue in the sixth inning to plate its first run. Thomas Gavello drove in Colby Canales on a single to shortstop after Canales reached third base on a passed ball.
The run against Traxel would be the only blemish in an otherwise strong day on the mound. Traxel finished his outing retiring four of the final five batters he faced before making way for the bullpen.
The Matadors added to their lead in the seventh inning on a two-run home run from Moody after Ali Camarillo was hit by a pitch to start the frame.
Gavin Lizik worked the final two innings, allowing two runs in the eighth inning. He would pitch a six-pitch top of the ninth to secure the win.
GAME NOTES
Gonzalez's home runs were the first of his Matador career while his four RBI were also new personal-high. Kramer finished with a run and an RBI in four at-bats while Porter reached base twice and scored a run. Eight of the Matadors' nine starters reached base at least once in the game.
The Matadors improved to 39-23-2 all-time in home openers. CSUN also has won four-straight home openers, going back to 2019.
For the Tigers, Chaz Myers and Thomas Gavello had two hits a piece while James Arakawa drove in two runs.
ACCORDING TO COACH DAVE SERRANO
"As I said to the team, we're based this year on pitching and defense. Blaine was good and when we had our struggles early against their pitcher, who I have respect for, Blaine was matching him pitch to pitch. But it wasn't just Blaine, it was our defense. We made some very good plays. In fact, maybe for me the biggest play of the game even though it won't be noticed by many people, was after Bohning struck out with the bases loaded, he goes out and the first play is hit to him. It was a tough play at third and he makes a good play. If he has his head down and he's worried about that at-bat right there, he might not make that play and now it opens the door for them. He played a fabulous game at third base just like we did throughout the game. It started on the mound and it was complimented by the defense behind him."
UP NEXT
CSUN continues its series with Pacific on Saturday with a doubleheader. First pitch of game one is set for 11 a.m. Game two will approximately start 40 minutes after the conclusion of game one. Ghizal Hasan has the call in an audio broadcast at GoMatadors.com/Radio.
#UniteTheValley
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Traxel kept the Tigers off balanced throughout his time on the mound on Friday, scattering five hits. The right-hander yielded two hits through the first five innings, facing one over the minimum and would not allow base runner to reach scoring position until the sixth inning.
Pacific starter Elijah Birdsong would blank the Matadors in the early innings as well. He tip-toed out of danger in the second inning, leaving the bases loaded but would run into trouble in the fourth inning. After a leadoff walk drawn by Andrew Sojka, Gonzalez belted a mammoth two-run home run to left field to put CSUN on the scoreboard. The Matadors added a third run later in the fourth when Sebastian Garcia singled to left field and outfielder Ben Nemivant misplayed the ball. Drew Porter would score all the way from first base on the error, making it a 3-0 game.
CSUN matched its fourth-inning output again an inning later as Moody began the rally with a one-out double. Joey Kramer followed with an RBI single before Gonzalez homered again, this time to center field, pushing the CSUN lead to 6-0.
Pacific capitalized on a CSUN miscue in the sixth inning to plate its first run. Thomas Gavello drove in Colby Canales on a single to shortstop after Canales reached third base on a passed ball.
The run against Traxel would be the only blemish in an otherwise strong day on the mound. Traxel finished his outing retiring four of the final five batters he faced before making way for the bullpen.
The Matadors added to their lead in the seventh inning on a two-run home run from Moody after Ali Camarillo was hit by a pitch to start the frame.
Gavin Lizik worked the final two innings, allowing two runs in the eighth inning. He would pitch a six-pitch top of the ninth to secure the win.
GAME NOTES
Gonzalez's home runs were the first of his Matador career while his four RBI were also new personal-high. Kramer finished with a run and an RBI in four at-bats while Porter reached base twice and scored a run. Eight of the Matadors' nine starters reached base at least once in the game.
The Matadors improved to 39-23-2 all-time in home openers. CSUN also has won four-straight home openers, going back to 2019.
For the Tigers, Chaz Myers and Thomas Gavello had two hits a piece while James Arakawa drove in two runs.
ACCORDING TO COACH DAVE SERRANO
"As I said to the team, we're based this year on pitching and defense. Blaine was good and when we had our struggles early against their pitcher, who I have respect for, Blaine was matching him pitch to pitch. But it wasn't just Blaine, it was our defense. We made some very good plays. In fact, maybe for me the biggest play of the game even though it won't be noticed by many people, was after Bohning struck out with the bases loaded, he goes out and the first play is hit to him. It was a tough play at third and he makes a good play. If he has his head down and he's worried about that at-bat right there, he might not make that play and now it opens the door for them. He played a fabulous game at third base just like we did throughout the game. It started on the mound and it was complimented by the defense behind him."
UP NEXT
CSUN continues its series with Pacific on Saturday with a doubleheader. First pitch of game one is set for 11 a.m. Game two will approximately start 40 minutes after the conclusion of game one. Ghizal Hasan has the call in an audio broadcast at GoMatadors.com/Radio.
#UniteTheValley
Â
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