Sunday, April 23
Northridge, Calif.
1:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
23-11, 10-5
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Cal Poly
14-23, 8-10
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Cal Poly
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1
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4
9
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CSUN
0
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1
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8
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Photo by: Dianne Wentz
CSUN Drops Series Finale to Cal Poly, 4-2
4/23/2023 4:41:00 PM | Baseball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball (23-11, 10-5 Big West) fell by a score of 4-2 to Cal Poly (14-23, 8-10 Big West) in the teams' series finale on Sunday afternoon at Matador Field. Jon Mocherman worked five solid innings, allowing one run to go with three strikeouts in his first collegiate start. Kevin Fitzer had the Matadors' lone multiple-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a walk. The Matadors had at least one base runner on base in each of the first eight innings and left 12 total runners stranded on the day.
Mocherman earned the spot start on Sunday and gave the Matadors a strong outing on the mound. The left hander shut out the Mustangs through the first three innings, scattering three hits. In the first inning, Mocherman helped his own cause when he picked off Ryan Fenn with two outs. CSUN's defense helped Mocherman get out of trouble in the second inning when Ali Camarillo caught a Wyatt King liner up the middle. Camarillo would then double up Joe Yorke at second base with a quick throw to Shunsuke Sakaino.
Mocherman gave up a solo homer in the fourth but bounced back to retire five of the next six batters.
CSUN lit up the scoreboard first in the bottom of the second on an RBI double from Joey Kramer. The Matadors had an opportunity to score another run later in the inning when Sakaino stroked a single with runners at first and second base. Kramer ended up touching home plate on the single but Emanuel Dean was thrown out attempting to retreat back to second base beforehand, negating the run.
CSUN eventually did take a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third, taking advantage of a Mustang error. Graysen Tarlow opened up the inning with a single, and he eventually moved up to third base on a failed pickoff attempt. Camarillo would drive in Tarlow with a safety squeeze bunt.
Cal Poly would battle back from the deficit, first on a solo home run from Ryan Stafford in the fourth. In the sixth, the Mustangs scored the tying run on a double play with runners on the corners. Collin Villegas gave the Mustangs the lead in the top of the seventh on a leadoff home run.
After the third inning, CSUN was kept off the scoreboard as the Cal Poly bullpen tossed 6.2 shutout innings. The Matadors threatened throughout the day but were unable to cash in on opportunities. In the fifth, CSUN had runners at the corners with one out before Jakob Simons was forced out at home plate on a Camarillo bunt and Le struck out swinging. The Matadors left another run in scoring position in the sixth and two more base runners in the seventh.
CSUN threatened once more in the eighth when Andrew Sojka singled and Bren Wilkinson walked with one out. A grounder off the bat of Sakaino moved both runners into scoring position but Tarlow was retired on a liner to short.
Casillas came through with an RBI single in the top of the ninth with two outs that gave Cal Poly a 4-2 lead. CSUN would be retired in order for the first time in the game in the last of the ninth.
GAME NOTES
The loss snapped the Matadors' 10-game home winning streak while CSUN lost for the first time in Big West play at Matador Field this season.
With a 1-for-5 day at the plate, Shunsuke Sakaino extended his on-base streak to 21 games. Jakob Simons also pushed his on-base streak to 14 after reaching with a walk. Kevin Fitzer picked up his ninth multiple-hit game of the year.
Out of the bullpen, Xavier Martinez tossed two shutout innings, retiring all six batters he faced to go with three strikeouts.
ACCORDING TO COACH EDDIE CORNEJO
"I was encouraged with what I saw out of Jon Mocherman. It was his first collegiate start and he gave us a chance. We wanted to get five innings out of him and he did his job. I was encouraged by that.
Today wasn't good baseball. There were a lot of little things we didn't do well. We gave a run away rounding second base. We weren't able to bunt a guy in. Those are things that are in our control. I blame myself. I didn't think I did a good job of managing this game. We had some costly defensive mistakes and costly offensive mistakes.
I keep telling them that they're playing for a coach who is never satisfied. I'm only going to satisfied if we accomplish our goal. This game doesn't help us get closer. We need to learn from today's game and be better."
UP NEXT
The Matadors hit the road for a midweek game with San Diego on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
#GoMatadors
Â
Mocherman earned the spot start on Sunday and gave the Matadors a strong outing on the mound. The left hander shut out the Mustangs through the first three innings, scattering three hits. In the first inning, Mocherman helped his own cause when he picked off Ryan Fenn with two outs. CSUN's defense helped Mocherman get out of trouble in the second inning when Ali Camarillo caught a Wyatt King liner up the middle. Camarillo would then double up Joe Yorke at second base with a quick throw to Shunsuke Sakaino.
Mocherman gave up a solo homer in the fourth but bounced back to retire five of the next six batters.
CSUN lit up the scoreboard first in the bottom of the second on an RBI double from Joey Kramer. The Matadors had an opportunity to score another run later in the inning when Sakaino stroked a single with runners at first and second base. Kramer ended up touching home plate on the single but Emanuel Dean was thrown out attempting to retreat back to second base beforehand, negating the run.
CSUN eventually did take a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third, taking advantage of a Mustang error. Graysen Tarlow opened up the inning with a single, and he eventually moved up to third base on a failed pickoff attempt. Camarillo would drive in Tarlow with a safety squeeze bunt.
Cal Poly would battle back from the deficit, first on a solo home run from Ryan Stafford in the fourth. In the sixth, the Mustangs scored the tying run on a double play with runners on the corners. Collin Villegas gave the Mustangs the lead in the top of the seventh on a leadoff home run.
After the third inning, CSUN was kept off the scoreboard as the Cal Poly bullpen tossed 6.2 shutout innings. The Matadors threatened throughout the day but were unable to cash in on opportunities. In the fifth, CSUN had runners at the corners with one out before Jakob Simons was forced out at home plate on a Camarillo bunt and Le struck out swinging. The Matadors left another run in scoring position in the sixth and two more base runners in the seventh.
CSUN threatened once more in the eighth when Andrew Sojka singled and Bren Wilkinson walked with one out. A grounder off the bat of Sakaino moved both runners into scoring position but Tarlow was retired on a liner to short.
Casillas came through with an RBI single in the top of the ninth with two outs that gave Cal Poly a 4-2 lead. CSUN would be retired in order for the first time in the game in the last of the ninth.
GAME NOTES
The loss snapped the Matadors' 10-game home winning streak while CSUN lost for the first time in Big West play at Matador Field this season.
With a 1-for-5 day at the plate, Shunsuke Sakaino extended his on-base streak to 21 games. Jakob Simons also pushed his on-base streak to 14 after reaching with a walk. Kevin Fitzer picked up his ninth multiple-hit game of the year.
Out of the bullpen, Xavier Martinez tossed two shutout innings, retiring all six batters he faced to go with three strikeouts.
ACCORDING TO COACH EDDIE CORNEJO
"I was encouraged with what I saw out of Jon Mocherman. It was his first collegiate start and he gave us a chance. We wanted to get five innings out of him and he did his job. I was encouraged by that.
Today wasn't good baseball. There were a lot of little things we didn't do well. We gave a run away rounding second base. We weren't able to bunt a guy in. Those are things that are in our control. I blame myself. I didn't think I did a good job of managing this game. We had some costly defensive mistakes and costly offensive mistakes.
I keep telling them that they're playing for a coach who is never satisfied. I'm only going to satisfied if we accomplish our goal. This game doesn't help us get closer. We need to learn from today's game and be better."
UP NEXT
The Matadors hit the road for a midweek game with San Diego on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
#GoMatadors
Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Baum, Ryan (3-3)
L: Ontiveros, Isaac (2-1)
S: Sagouspe, Tanner (1)
Batting:
HR: Stafford, Ryan 1 ; Villegas, Collin 1
RBI: Stafford, Ryan 1 ; Villegas, Collin 1 ; Casillas, Aaron 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Steels, Jake 1 ; Stafford, Ryan 2 ; Villegas, Collin 1
SB: Stafford, Ryan 1
CS: Fenn, Ryan 1
HBP: Villegas, Collin 1
PO: Fenn, Ryan 1
Batting:
2B: Kramer, Joey 1
RBI: Camarillo, Ali 1 ; Kramer, Joey 1
SH: Camarillo, Ali 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Tarlow, Graysen 1 ; Le, Mason 1
SB: Wilkinson, Bren 1
HBP: Simons, Jakob 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
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AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
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