Sunday, April 2
Northridge, Calif.
1:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
17-6, 6-3
13
vs
7
UC Riverside
6-17, 0-6
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9
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UC Riverside
0
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1
0
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7
14
3
CSUN
0
6
0
1
0
4
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X
13
17
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Photo by: Dianne Wentz
Matadors Complete Sweep with 13-7 Win Over UC Riverside
4/2/2023 4:45:00 PM | Baseball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball (17-6, 6-3 Big West) completed a weekend sweep of UC Riverside (6-17, 0-6 Big West) with a 13-7 win on Sunday at Matador Field. Shunsuke Sakaino reached base five times and went 4-for-4 with three RBI while Graysen Tarlow finished 3-for-5 with a three-run homer. Out of the bullpen, Xavier Martinez earned the win after tossing 2.1 innings, striking out four and allowing a run.
CSUN would fall behind for the first time in the series in the top of the second inning when an error led to the Highlanders plating a pair of runs.
The Matadors though responded quickly throughout the day including in the home half of the second. In that frame, the first two batters reached before Ben Griffin legged out a bunt single. On the play, a throwing error led to Ali Camarillo scoring for CSUN's first run. The Matadors were just getting started as Andrew Sojka added to the lead with a sacrifice fly. Sakaino brought home another run on a two-out bunt single then Tarlow followed with a three-run homer, capping a six-run inning.
UCR cut the gap in half in the top of the fourth on a two-run homer from Alphonzo Mancinas, however, CSUN answered back in the bottom of the fourth with back-to-back doubles from Jakob Simons and Sakaino to extend the lead to 7-4.Â
The lead would be trimmed to one over the fifth and sixth innings with UCR putting up single tallies. Xavier Martinez was called on to close the top of the fifth inning, stranding runners at the corners. In the sixth, Martinez struck out two batters in the frame, but gave up a pair of hits and walked two others to force in a run. Martinez though left the bases full of Highlanders when he forced Jacob Badawi to bounce into a fielder's choice.
With their lead down to one, the Matadors responded with a four-run bottom of the sixth. Mason Le doubled and later scored on a Simons safety squeeze. CSUN then produced another run on three-straight two-out singles with Kevin Fitzer coming through with an RBI hit. Two batters later, Nathan Barraza delivered a two-run single to extend the lead to 11-6.
In the home half of the eighth, the Matadors created more breathing room by plating two more runs. A throwing error to third base allowed Sakaino to touch home plate in the inning while Camarillo got into the RBI column with a sacrifice fly.
Hayden Cody worked the final two innings out of the bullpen, giving up a solo home run in the top of the ninth. CSUN's defense would shine in Cody's outing as Andrew Sojka ended the top of the seventh when he threw out Dominic Martinez attempting to leg out a double. The Matadors turned a double play as well to end the top of the ninth.
GAME NOTES
Joining Shunsuke Sakaino and Graysen Tarlow, Ben Griffin (3-for-4), Mason Le (2-for-3) and Jakob Simons (2-for-5) had multiple-hit games. Tarlow extended his on-base streak to 22 games while Ali Camarillo stretched his hit streak to 11 games.
Eight Matadors had hits and scored runs in the game while seven drove in runs. CSUN also stole four bases on the day.
In the series, CSUN hitters batted an even .500 over the three games (63-for-126). The Matadors outscored the Highlanders 51-17 while CSUN had 24 extra base hits including nine home runs.
ACCORDING TO COACH EDDIE CORNEJO
"I like that we responded whenever they scored. I think that alleviated some pressure on the defensive end and on the pitching end. It also alleviated pressure on me because I was trying to avoid using our closer, if at all possible, especially with a game tomorrow. I liked the inside game. We were able to sacrifice bunt that one in the second inning with Ben Griffin, that put pressure on them. Being able to hit for extra base hits, for power and the ability to add the inside game to it, it can be tough to beat us. They allowed us to have quality at bats because they were giving us pitches to hit, and I give our offense a lot of credit for being disciplined today."
UP NEXT
The Matadors complete a five-game homestand with a non-conference game with California Baptist on Monday at 3 p.m. Ghizal Hasan has the call in an audio broadcast at GoMatadors.com/Radio.
#GoMatadors
Â
CSUN would fall behind for the first time in the series in the top of the second inning when an error led to the Highlanders plating a pair of runs.
The Matadors though responded quickly throughout the day including in the home half of the second. In that frame, the first two batters reached before Ben Griffin legged out a bunt single. On the play, a throwing error led to Ali Camarillo scoring for CSUN's first run. The Matadors were just getting started as Andrew Sojka added to the lead with a sacrifice fly. Sakaino brought home another run on a two-out bunt single then Tarlow followed with a three-run homer, capping a six-run inning.
UCR cut the gap in half in the top of the fourth on a two-run homer from Alphonzo Mancinas, however, CSUN answered back in the bottom of the fourth with back-to-back doubles from Jakob Simons and Sakaino to extend the lead to 7-4.Â
The lead would be trimmed to one over the fifth and sixth innings with UCR putting up single tallies. Xavier Martinez was called on to close the top of the fifth inning, stranding runners at the corners. In the sixth, Martinez struck out two batters in the frame, but gave up a pair of hits and walked two others to force in a run. Martinez though left the bases full of Highlanders when he forced Jacob Badawi to bounce into a fielder's choice.
With their lead down to one, the Matadors responded with a four-run bottom of the sixth. Mason Le doubled and later scored on a Simons safety squeeze. CSUN then produced another run on three-straight two-out singles with Kevin Fitzer coming through with an RBI hit. Two batters later, Nathan Barraza delivered a two-run single to extend the lead to 11-6.
In the home half of the eighth, the Matadors created more breathing room by plating two more runs. A throwing error to third base allowed Sakaino to touch home plate in the inning while Camarillo got into the RBI column with a sacrifice fly.
Hayden Cody worked the final two innings out of the bullpen, giving up a solo home run in the top of the ninth. CSUN's defense would shine in Cody's outing as Andrew Sojka ended the top of the seventh when he threw out Dominic Martinez attempting to leg out a double. The Matadors turned a double play as well to end the top of the ninth.
GAME NOTES
Joining Shunsuke Sakaino and Graysen Tarlow, Ben Griffin (3-for-4), Mason Le (2-for-3) and Jakob Simons (2-for-5) had multiple-hit games. Tarlow extended his on-base streak to 22 games while Ali Camarillo stretched his hit streak to 11 games.
Eight Matadors had hits and scored runs in the game while seven drove in runs. CSUN also stole four bases on the day.
In the series, CSUN hitters batted an even .500 over the three games (63-for-126). The Matadors outscored the Highlanders 51-17 while CSUN had 24 extra base hits including nine home runs.
ACCORDING TO COACH EDDIE CORNEJO
"I like that we responded whenever they scored. I think that alleviated some pressure on the defensive end and on the pitching end. It also alleviated pressure on me because I was trying to avoid using our closer, if at all possible, especially with a game tomorrow. I liked the inside game. We were able to sacrifice bunt that one in the second inning with Ben Griffin, that put pressure on them. Being able to hit for extra base hits, for power and the ability to add the inside game to it, it can be tough to beat us. They allowed us to have quality at bats because they were giving us pitches to hit, and I give our offense a lot of credit for being disciplined today."
UP NEXT
The Matadors complete a five-game homestand with a non-conference game with California Baptist on Monday at 3 p.m. Ghizal Hasan has the call in an audio broadcast at GoMatadors.com/Radio.
#GoMatadors
Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Martinez, Xavier (3-1)
L: Jake Gebb (0-3)
Batting:
2B: Jacob Shanks 1 ; Anthony McFarland 1
HR: Jacob Badawi 1 ; Alphonzo Mancinas 1
RBI: Dominic Martinez 1 ; Jacob Badawi 1 ; Alphonzo Mancinas 2 ; Anthony McFarland 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Anthony Mata 1 ; Jacob Badawi 3 ; Alphonzo Mancinas 2 ; Anthony McFarland 1
SB: Alphonzo Mancinas 1 ; Anthony McFarland 1
Batting:
2B: Simons, Jakob 1 ; Sakaino, Shunsuke 1 ; Griffin, Ben 1 ; Le, Mason 2
HR: Tarlow, Graysen 1
RBI: Simons, Jakob 1 ; Sakaino, Shunsuke 2 ; Tarlow, Graysen 3 ; Fitzer, Kevin 1 ; Camarillo, Ali 1 ; Barraza, Nathan 2 ; Sojka, Andrew 1
SH: Sojka, Andrew 1
SF: Camarillo, Ali 1 ; Sojka, Andrew 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Simons, Jakob 1 ; Sakaino, Shunsuke 3 ; Tarlow, Graysen 3 ; Fitzer, Kevin 1 ; Camarillo, Ali 1 ; Barraza, Nathan 1 ; Griffin, Ben 1 ; Le, Mason 2
SB: Sakaino, Shunsuke 1 ; Tarlow, Graysen 1 ; Fitzer, Kevin 1 ; Barraza, Nathan 1
CS: Griffin, Ben 1
PO: Simons, Jakob 1 ; Le, Mason 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
3
H
4
RBI
2
AB
5
R
3
H
3
RBI
3
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
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RHP
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