Sunday, March 5
Tucson, Ariz.
8:00 a.m.
California State University at Northridge
6-11
7
vs
11
Nebraska
14-6
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
R
H
E
Nebraska
1
0
3
1
2
0
0
4
11
15
1
CSUN
2
1
0
2
1
0
1
0
7
9
3
Photo by: Will Navarro
CSUN Drops Decisions to Nebraska & No. 16 Arizona
3/5/2023 3:23:00 PM | Softball
TUCSON, Ariz.—CSUN battled in extra innings in a loss to Nebraska before falling to No. 16 Arizona on Sunday's final day of the Hillenbrand Invitational.
ACCORDING TO HEAD COACH CHARLOTTE MORGAN
Playing less than 10 hours after finishing up against Texas A&M-Commerce, the Matadors dropped an 11-7 decision to Nebraska in eight innings during the morning session.
The Huskers got on the board in the top of the first when Mya Fielder singled in Caitlynn Neal. Carys Murakami tripled to lead off the Matadors' first. Mikayla Carman tied the score with a single up the middle to drive in Murakami. CSUN loaded the bases with two outs when a Sarah Harness pitch hit Shaylan Whatman to give the Matadors the lead.
Alexis Garcia reached on an error to begin the second, advancing to second on the play. Murakami successfully sacrificed her to third before coming around to score on a Carman grounder to short. Billie Andrews' home run to lead off the third cut the lead to one.
Back-to-back CSUN errors with one out kept the Nebraska third alive. Katelyn Caneda singled to load the bases. Brooke Andrews doubled to right to drive in two runs for a 4-3 Huskers lead. Kaylee Escutia's diving catch of Talia Tokheim's shot to right was the second out. Caneda was ruled to have left early from third, ending the Nebraska inning.
Escutia and Maddie Padilla recorded consecutive singles to kickstart the CSUN third. Courtney Wallace relieved Harness. Her first batter was Whatman, who walked to load the bases. Pinch-hitter Macy Mohrlock ran the count to 3-2 before striking out on a Wallace rise ball. Pinch Mia Stankiewicz came on as a pinch-hitter. She grounded into a 5-2 fielder's choice for the second out. Murakami's grounder back to Wallace ended the threat.
Two of the first three batters in the Nebraska fourth walked. Allie Gardiner relieved Isabella Alonso. Neal doubled to left center to drive in a run. Felder flew out to right, but the ball wasn't deep enough for Billie Andrews to tag up and score. Ava Bredwell also flew out to right to end the inning.
Carman led off the fourth with a single up the middle. Maiya Alemania followed with a single up the middle to push Carman up a base. Kylie Galindo struck out before Escutia singled through the right side to drive in Carman. Padilla's ground out plated Alemania to tie the score at five.
The Cornhuskers loaded the bases with one out in the top of the fifth. Gardiner struck out Alina Felix before Billie Andrews put the Huskers ahead by two when she doubled in a pair of runs. Neal grounded out to end the inning.
Sydney Freijanes worked out a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fifth. Down. 1-2 in the count, Garcia singled up the middle. Murakami's seven-pitch at-bat resulted in a walk that loaded the bases. Carman grounded into a 5-2 fielder's choice, which retired Freijanes at home. Alemania reached on a 4-3 fielder's choice, which allowed Garcia to score. Galindo flew out to right for the final out.
Felder reached on the third CSUN error of the game to begin the top of the sixth. Gardiner struck out Bredwell. Caneda flew out before Brooke Andrews singled up the middle. Tokheim flew out to complete the inning.
Escutia came up big again as she reached over the right field fence to rob Abby Squier of a home run to open the top of the seventh to help keep it a one-run game. Garcia walked with one out in the bottom of the seventh. After battling Wallace on a nine-pitch sequence, Murakami worked out a walk to bring up Carman. The Matadors' left fielder posted her third hit of the day, a single up the middle, to drive in Garcia for the tying run, with Murakami taking second. Both runners moved up a base on a Wallace wild pitch. Then, Alemania lined into a double play to send it to extra innings.
Playing under the international rule, Neal was placed on second with Felder leading off the inning. Felder doubled to left, Neal rounded third and was caught in a rundown, but she slid under a CSUN tag at home for the go-ahead run. Felder took third on the throw home and remained on base as Bredwell grounded out to short. Caneda's single up the middle drove in Felder. Brooke Andrews flew out to right. Tokheim's fly ball to center went off Alemania's glove in center for a two-run home run to increase the lead to four.
Alemania was placed at second to begin the CSUN eighth. Galindo grounded out to first, which allowed Alemania to reach third. Escutia flew out to left, but it wasn't deep enough for Alemania to tag. Padilla struck out to end the game.
CSUN left 12 on base while the Cornhuskers stranded 10. Nebraska outhit CSUN 15-9. Caneda was 3-for-5 with six different Huskers, each recording two hits. Billie Andrews drove in three runs, while Brooke Andrews posted two RBI. Carman was 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Escutia went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Garcia scored three times for the second consecutive game.
GAME 2
Arizona defeated CSUN 9-0 in afternoon play.
The Wildcats (15-6) scored five times with one out in the bottom of the first. Arizona sent 10 batters to the plate, with four Wildcats recording a hit. The Wildcats recorded four runs in the fourth.
Arizona starter Devyn Netz struck out the first five Matadors before issuing a Whatman single. Netz tossed a three-hitter, struck out six, and did not walk a batter. She helped her cause by going 2-3 at the plate with a home run and three RBI. Olivia DiNardo went 2-for-2 with two RBI and a run scored. Carlie Scupin was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Whatman had two of the three CSUN hits (2-for-2).
UP NEXT
CSUN (6-12) travels to the Silicon Valley Classic II Mar. 10-11. The Matadors face Santa Clara (noon) and Utah State (5 p.m.) on Friday at Santa Clara before traveling to San José State on Saturday to meet Rhode Island (noon) and the Spartans (2:30 p.m.).
~#UniteTheValley~
ACCORDING TO HEAD COACH CHARLOTTE MORGAN
GAME 1Hear from Coach Morgan after today's games against Nebraska and Arizona. pic.twitter.com/6jSwNB0dAs
— CSUN Softball (@CSUNSoftball) March 5, 2023
Playing less than 10 hours after finishing up against Texas A&M-Commerce, the Matadors dropped an 11-7 decision to Nebraska in eight innings during the morning session.
The Huskers got on the board in the top of the first when Mya Fielder singled in Caitlynn Neal. Carys Murakami tripled to lead off the Matadors' first. Mikayla Carman tied the score with a single up the middle to drive in Murakami. CSUN loaded the bases with two outs when a Sarah Harness pitch hit Shaylan Whatman to give the Matadors the lead.
Alexis Garcia reached on an error to begin the second, advancing to second on the play. Murakami successfully sacrificed her to third before coming around to score on a Carman grounder to short. Billie Andrews' home run to lead off the third cut the lead to one.
Back-to-back CSUN errors with one out kept the Nebraska third alive. Katelyn Caneda singled to load the bases. Brooke Andrews doubled to right to drive in two runs for a 4-3 Huskers lead. Kaylee Escutia's diving catch of Talia Tokheim's shot to right was the second out. Caneda was ruled to have left early from third, ending the Nebraska inning.
Escutia and Maddie Padilla recorded consecutive singles to kickstart the CSUN third. Courtney Wallace relieved Harness. Her first batter was Whatman, who walked to load the bases. Pinch-hitter Macy Mohrlock ran the count to 3-2 before striking out on a Wallace rise ball. Pinch Mia Stankiewicz came on as a pinch-hitter. She grounded into a 5-2 fielder's choice for the second out. Murakami's grounder back to Wallace ended the threat.
Two of the first three batters in the Nebraska fourth walked. Allie Gardiner relieved Isabella Alonso. Neal doubled to left center to drive in a run. Felder flew out to right, but the ball wasn't deep enough for Billie Andrews to tag up and score. Ava Bredwell also flew out to right to end the inning.
Carman led off the fourth with a single up the middle. Maiya Alemania followed with a single up the middle to push Carman up a base. Kylie Galindo struck out before Escutia singled through the right side to drive in Carman. Padilla's ground out plated Alemania to tie the score at five.
The Cornhuskers loaded the bases with one out in the top of the fifth. Gardiner struck out Alina Felix before Billie Andrews put the Huskers ahead by two when she doubled in a pair of runs. Neal grounded out to end the inning.
Sydney Freijanes worked out a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fifth. Down. 1-2 in the count, Garcia singled up the middle. Murakami's seven-pitch at-bat resulted in a walk that loaded the bases. Carman grounded into a 5-2 fielder's choice, which retired Freijanes at home. Alemania reached on a 4-3 fielder's choice, which allowed Garcia to score. Galindo flew out to right for the final out.
Felder reached on the third CSUN error of the game to begin the top of the sixth. Gardiner struck out Bredwell. Caneda flew out before Brooke Andrews singled up the middle. Tokheim flew out to complete the inning.
Escutia came up big again as she reached over the right field fence to rob Abby Squier of a home run to open the top of the seventh to help keep it a one-run game. Garcia walked with one out in the bottom of the seventh. After battling Wallace on a nine-pitch sequence, Murakami worked out a walk to bring up Carman. The Matadors' left fielder posted her third hit of the day, a single up the middle, to drive in Garcia for the tying run, with Murakami taking second. Both runners moved up a base on a Wallace wild pitch. Then, Alemania lined into a double play to send it to extra innings.
Playing under the international rule, Neal was placed on second with Felder leading off the inning. Felder doubled to left, Neal rounded third and was caught in a rundown, but she slid under a CSUN tag at home for the go-ahead run. Felder took third on the throw home and remained on base as Bredwell grounded out to short. Caneda's single up the middle drove in Felder. Brooke Andrews flew out to right. Tokheim's fly ball to center went off Alemania's glove in center for a two-run home run to increase the lead to four.
Alemania was placed at second to begin the CSUN eighth. Galindo grounded out to first, which allowed Alemania to reach third. Escutia flew out to left, but it wasn't deep enough for Alemania to tag. Padilla struck out to end the game.
CSUN left 12 on base while the Cornhuskers stranded 10. Nebraska outhit CSUN 15-9. Caneda was 3-for-5 with six different Huskers, each recording two hits. Billie Andrews drove in three runs, while Brooke Andrews posted two RBI. Carman was 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Escutia went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Garcia scored three times for the second consecutive game.
GAME 2
Arizona defeated CSUN 9-0 in afternoon play.
The Wildcats (15-6) scored five times with one out in the bottom of the first. Arizona sent 10 batters to the plate, with four Wildcats recording a hit. The Wildcats recorded four runs in the fourth.
Arizona starter Devyn Netz struck out the first five Matadors before issuing a Whatman single. Netz tossed a three-hitter, struck out six, and did not walk a batter. She helped her cause by going 2-3 at the plate with a home run and three RBI. Olivia DiNardo went 2-for-2 with two RBI and a run scored. Carlie Scupin was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Whatman had two of the three CSUN hits (2-for-2).
UP NEXT
CSUN (6-12) travels to the Silicon Valley Classic II Mar. 10-11. The Matadors face Santa Clara (noon) and Utah State (5 p.m.) on Friday at Santa Clara before traveling to San José State on Saturday to meet Rhode Island (noon) and the Spartans (2:30 p.m.).
~#UniteTheValley~
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wallace, Courtney (8-3)
L: Gardiner, Allie (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Andrews, Billie 1 ; Neal, Caitlynn 2 ; Felder, Mya 1 ; Andrews, Brooke 1 ; Tokheim, Talia 1
HR: Andrews, Billie 1 ; Tokheim, Talia 1
RBI: Andrews, Billie 3 ; Neal, Caitlynn 1 ; Felder, Mya 2 ; Caneda, Katelyn 1 ; Andrews, Brooke 2 ; Tokheim, Talia 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Andrews, Billie 1 ; Neal, Caitlynn 2 ; Felder, Mya 2 ; Bredwell, Ava 1 ; Caneda, Katelyn 1 ; Andrews, Brooke 1 ; Tokheim, Talia 2 ; Squier, Abbie 1
HBP: Neal, Caitlynn 1
Batting:
3B: Murakami, Carys 1
RBI: Carman, Mikayla 3 ; Alemania, Maiya 1 ; Escutia, Kaylee 1 ; Padilla , Maddie 1 ; Whatman, Shaylan 1
SH: Murakami, Carys 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Murakami, Carys 1 ; Carman, Mikayla 2 ; Alemania, Maiya 1 ; Garcia, Alexis 3
HBP: Whatman, Shaylan 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
3
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
C
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballSoftball--CSUN vs. Hawai'i
Saturday, May 04
Softball-CSUN vs. UC Riverside
Saturday, April 13
Softball-CSUN vs. UCLA
Sunday, March 24
Softball-CSUN vs. Saint Mary's
Saturday, March 23