Friday, May 27
Northridge, Calif.
2:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
32-21, 17-12
5
vs
2
UC San Diego
23-32, 12-17
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
UC San Diego
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
2
4
4
CSUN
0
0
3
0
0
0
2
0
X
5
6
0
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Braun, Lucas (7-4)
L: Conlon, Noah (4-9)
S: Schriever, Blake (8)
Batting:
2B: Smith, Austin 1
HR: Fuhrman, Michael 1
RBI: Gonzalez, Emiliano 1 ; Fuhrman, Michael 1
Base Running:
RUNS: FitzGerald, B. 1 ; Fuhrman, Michael 1
HBP: Glascoe, Luke 1
Batting:
2B: Le, Mason 1 ; Garcia, Sebastian 1
RBI: Sojka, Andrew 1 ; Moody, Kai 2 ; Fitzer, Kevin 1
SH: Sojka, Andrew 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sojka, Andrew 1 ; Camarillo, Ali 2 ; Moody, Kai 1 ; Garcia, Sebastian 1
CS: Kramer, Joey 1
HBP: Kramer, Joey 1
PO: Camarillo, Ali 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
Photo by: Will Navarro
Matadors Knock Off UCSD 5-2 to Clinch Series
5/27/2022 5:16:00 PM | Baseball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball (32-21, 17-12 Big West) notched its seventh conference series victory with a 5-2 triumph over UC San Diego (23-32, 12-17 Big West) on Friday at Matador Field. Lucas Braun worked six quality innings, allowing a run to go with seven strikeouts. Kai Moody reached base twice and drove in two runs while Ali Camarillo finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
It would take the Matadors 10 innings to crack the scoring column in their series opener with UCSD on Thursday, but a day later, CSUN broke through in the third inning by taking advantage of two UCSD errors.
In the frame, Sebastian Garcia led off with a double before he moved up to third base on a flyout. Andrew Sojka would deliver a safety squeeze bunt to bring home Garcia to put the Matadors in front. Moments later, Camarillo hit a grounder to short that took a tricky hop allowing the CSUN shortstop to reach safely. The Tritons made two errors with Camarillo on the base paths, the first on a failed pickoff attempt from pitcher Noah Conlon. Camarillo later touched home plate on a throwing error from second baseman Crew Robinson when Moody was caught in-between first and second base. Kevin Fitzer capped the inning with an RBI single for a 3-0 Matador lead.
The three-spot in the third seemed it would be more than enough for Braun who frustrated the Tritons at the plate over his six innings. After hitting a batter to start the game, Braun retired 10 of the next 11 batters, five of which on strikeouts. He would not allow a base hit until the fourth inning when Austin Smith doubled with one out. In the fourth, UCSD cracked the scoring column on an RBI groundout from Emiliano Gonzalez, but Braun stranded Smith at third base when he retired Robinson for the third out.
Braun would retire the final eight batters he faced in the game, racking up two more strikeouts along the way.
Diego Gutierrez relieved Braun in the seventh inning and got off to a solid start by retiring the first two batters of the frame. However, Michael Fuhrman came to the plate and hit a pinch-hit solo home run to cut the CSUN lead to 3-2. Gutierrez would bounce back to retire the next batter before tossing a 1-2-3 eighth inning.
CSUN picked up two insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh, again taking advantage of a UCSD miscue. Relief pitcher Lonnie Morris would walk both Sojka and Camarillo on four pitches each to put runners at first and second base. Morris attempted a pickoff but threw offline, allowing both Sojka and Camarillo to move up a base. With two runners in scoring position, Moody rifled a two-run single to left-center field to push the lead to 5-2.
Gutierrez would start the ninth inning, but gave up a leadoff single, prompting a change on the mound. Blake Schriever entered out of the bullpen and retired the first batter before walking the next batter. Then, Gonzalez came through with a single to load the bases with one out. Schriever escaped trouble by retiring Fuhrman on a popup and Matt Halbach on a strikeout for the save.Â
GAME NOTES
With the win, the Matadors' have already clinched their best conference winning percentage since 2002 when the team won the Big West title. The team holds a current .586 conference winning percentage heading into the season's final day.
Braun improved to 7-1 as a starter while he lowered his season ERA to a team-high 2.91. As a starter on the mound, Braun posted a 1.40 ERA in 10 games this season.
Schriever earned his eighth save of the season and 23rd overall of his career. He also made his 93rd career appearance, one shy of second place in team history.
ACCORDING TO COACH DAVE SERRANO
"I stand before you very proud. That's seven out of 10 [conference series wins] in the Big West, with some sweeps in there. That means we've won 10 out of 15 series on the season. As a coach of this program, who tries to lead these young men each and every day, I'm very proud of the steps we've taken in this program. And I'm very proud of these players and their commitment. The way Santa Barbara jumped out to the league lead early on, it could have been very easy for these guys to just start playing for themselves to finish the season. They are playing for each other and for the pride of the jersey and university, and the fact that they are going to do something that hasn't happened in a long time with how we finish with our record. For a team that was voted by the coaches to finish seventh, I'd be a lot more proud if we were winning the conference championship, but we've done a lot to be proud of. Again, all of the credit goes to these players. We have another opportunity tomorrow to be together, as I shared with them, we want to make tomorrow one of the best days of our lives because it's last time all of us together will be together."Â
UP NEXT
CSUN hosts UC San Diego in the 2022 season finale on Saturday at 1:10 p.m. The Matadors will honor their senior class along with the retiring Dave Serrano in a special ceremony prior to first pitch.
#UniteTheValley
Â
It would take the Matadors 10 innings to crack the scoring column in their series opener with UCSD on Thursday, but a day later, CSUN broke through in the third inning by taking advantage of two UCSD errors.
In the frame, Sebastian Garcia led off with a double before he moved up to third base on a flyout. Andrew Sojka would deliver a safety squeeze bunt to bring home Garcia to put the Matadors in front. Moments later, Camarillo hit a grounder to short that took a tricky hop allowing the CSUN shortstop to reach safely. The Tritons made two errors with Camarillo on the base paths, the first on a failed pickoff attempt from pitcher Noah Conlon. Camarillo later touched home plate on a throwing error from second baseman Crew Robinson when Moody was caught in-between first and second base. Kevin Fitzer capped the inning with an RBI single for a 3-0 Matador lead.
The three-spot in the third seemed it would be more than enough for Braun who frustrated the Tritons at the plate over his six innings. After hitting a batter to start the game, Braun retired 10 of the next 11 batters, five of which on strikeouts. He would not allow a base hit until the fourth inning when Austin Smith doubled with one out. In the fourth, UCSD cracked the scoring column on an RBI groundout from Emiliano Gonzalez, but Braun stranded Smith at third base when he retired Robinson for the third out.
Braun would retire the final eight batters he faced in the game, racking up two more strikeouts along the way.
Diego Gutierrez relieved Braun in the seventh inning and got off to a solid start by retiring the first two batters of the frame. However, Michael Fuhrman came to the plate and hit a pinch-hit solo home run to cut the CSUN lead to 3-2. Gutierrez would bounce back to retire the next batter before tossing a 1-2-3 eighth inning.
CSUN picked up two insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh, again taking advantage of a UCSD miscue. Relief pitcher Lonnie Morris would walk both Sojka and Camarillo on four pitches each to put runners at first and second base. Morris attempted a pickoff but threw offline, allowing both Sojka and Camarillo to move up a base. With two runners in scoring position, Moody rifled a two-run single to left-center field to push the lead to 5-2.
Gutierrez would start the ninth inning, but gave up a leadoff single, prompting a change on the mound. Blake Schriever entered out of the bullpen and retired the first batter before walking the next batter. Then, Gonzalez came through with a single to load the bases with one out. Schriever escaped trouble by retiring Fuhrman on a popup and Matt Halbach on a strikeout for the save.Â
GAME NOTES
With the win, the Matadors' have already clinched their best conference winning percentage since 2002 when the team won the Big West title. The team holds a current .586 conference winning percentage heading into the season's final day.
Braun improved to 7-1 as a starter while he lowered his season ERA to a team-high 2.91. As a starter on the mound, Braun posted a 1.40 ERA in 10 games this season.
Schriever earned his eighth save of the season and 23rd overall of his career. He also made his 93rd career appearance, one shy of second place in team history.
ACCORDING TO COACH DAVE SERRANO
"I stand before you very proud. That's seven out of 10 [conference series wins] in the Big West, with some sweeps in there. That means we've won 10 out of 15 series on the season. As a coach of this program, who tries to lead these young men each and every day, I'm very proud of the steps we've taken in this program. And I'm very proud of these players and their commitment. The way Santa Barbara jumped out to the league lead early on, it could have been very easy for these guys to just start playing for themselves to finish the season. They are playing for each other and for the pride of the jersey and university, and the fact that they are going to do something that hasn't happened in a long time with how we finish with our record. For a team that was voted by the coaches to finish seventh, I'd be a lot more proud if we were winning the conference championship, but we've done a lot to be proud of. Again, all of the credit goes to these players. We have another opportunity tomorrow to be together, as I shared with them, we want to make tomorrow one of the best days of our lives because it's last time all of us together will be together."Â
UP NEXT
CSUN hosts UC San Diego in the 2022 season finale on Saturday at 1:10 p.m. The Matadors will honor their senior class along with the retiring Dave Serrano in a special ceremony prior to first pitch.
#UniteTheValley
Â
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