Thursday, April 6
Macon, Ga.
3:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
18-7
2
at
9
Mercer
20-11
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Cal State Northridge
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
7
3
Mercer
0
3
0
0
0
2
0
4
X
9
9
0
Photo by: Dianne Wentz
Matadors Fall at Mercer to Open Series
4/6/2023 7:34:00 PM | Baseball
MACON, Ga.---CSUN Baseball (18-7) had its five-game winning streak snapped on Thursday in a 9-2 loss to Mercer (20-11) at OrthoGeorgia Park. Lucas Braun pitched into the sixth inning, striking out four while giving up five runs. Kamau Neighbors finished with two hits off the bench including his first home run as a Matador. Thursday's game also featured a 95-minute lightning delay in the eighth inning.
Mercer jumped on Braun in the second inning as the first three batters reached on hits. Carter Sanford would hit a two-run home run to open up the scoring. Braun surrendered a double to Carter Geier then a walk to Ty Dalley before recording his first out of the inning. A third run later scored on a fielder's choice for a Mercer 3-0 lead.
The Matador bats were frustrated throughout the evening by stingy Mercer pitching. The Matadors picked up a one-out single in the first inning but starting pitcher Colton Cosper induced an inning-ending double play. Cosper would also end an inning with a double play in the fourth before getting out of trouble in the fifth when CSUN left runners at second and third base.Â
On the flip side, Braun stranded two base runners in the third and one more in the fourth while he induced a double play as well in the bottom of the fifth inning.
CSUN still trailed 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth, but the Bears broke through with two insurance runs in the inning. Braun gave up a leadoff walk before rebounding to retire the next two batters. However, Bradley Frye came away with a two-out RBI single to extend the lead to four. After Braun was lifted from the game, Isaac Ontiveros hit the next batter and threw a wild pitch. A CSUN error committed after the wild pitch allowed Mercer to take a 5-0 lead.
The Matadors' best chance to score came in the top of the eighth when Elijah Cook and Mason Le walked then Jakob Simons was hit by a pitch to load the bases with nobody out. However, the game was suspended at that point due to lightning in the area.
After a 95-minute delay, the next three Matadors were retired in order to end a scoreless top of the eighth.
Mercer added four more runs in the home half of the eighth, all with two outs as Jozsef Rohrbacher hit a three-run home run and Antonio Brown hit a solo homer.
The Matadors finally got on the scoreboard in the top of the ninth when Neighbors hit a leadoff home run. Le also picked up a two-out RBI double to cut the lead to 9-2.
GAME NOTES
Kamau Neighbors was the lone Matador to record a multiple-hit game. Graysen Tarlow went 1-for-3 with a walk to extend his on-base streak to 23 games.
Isaac Ontiveros retired four batters out of the bullpen with only a hit allowed. He would be lifted from the game after the lightning delay.
ACCORDING TO COACH EDDIE CORNEJO
"We have yet to figure out how to play on the road [in openers]. Regardless of how recent we've played offensively this was a humbling day and we need to adapt quicker."
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UP NEXT
In an effort to avoid inclement weather, CSUN will play Mercer in a Friday doubleheader to close the series. Both ends of the twin bill are scheduled seven-inning games. The opener is set for 8 a.m. (PT).
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#GoMatadors
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Mercer jumped on Braun in the second inning as the first three batters reached on hits. Carter Sanford would hit a two-run home run to open up the scoring. Braun surrendered a double to Carter Geier then a walk to Ty Dalley before recording his first out of the inning. A third run later scored on a fielder's choice for a Mercer 3-0 lead.
The Matador bats were frustrated throughout the evening by stingy Mercer pitching. The Matadors picked up a one-out single in the first inning but starting pitcher Colton Cosper induced an inning-ending double play. Cosper would also end an inning with a double play in the fourth before getting out of trouble in the fifth when CSUN left runners at second and third base.Â
On the flip side, Braun stranded two base runners in the third and one more in the fourth while he induced a double play as well in the bottom of the fifth inning.
CSUN still trailed 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth, but the Bears broke through with two insurance runs in the inning. Braun gave up a leadoff walk before rebounding to retire the next two batters. However, Bradley Frye came away with a two-out RBI single to extend the lead to four. After Braun was lifted from the game, Isaac Ontiveros hit the next batter and threw a wild pitch. A CSUN error committed after the wild pitch allowed Mercer to take a 5-0 lead.
The Matadors' best chance to score came in the top of the eighth when Elijah Cook and Mason Le walked then Jakob Simons was hit by a pitch to load the bases with nobody out. However, the game was suspended at that point due to lightning in the area.
After a 95-minute delay, the next three Matadors were retired in order to end a scoreless top of the eighth.
Mercer added four more runs in the home half of the eighth, all with two outs as Jozsef Rohrbacher hit a three-run home run and Antonio Brown hit a solo homer.
The Matadors finally got on the scoreboard in the top of the ninth when Neighbors hit a leadoff home run. Le also picked up a two-out RBI double to cut the lead to 9-2.
GAME NOTES
Kamau Neighbors was the lone Matador to record a multiple-hit game. Graysen Tarlow went 1-for-3 with a walk to extend his on-base streak to 23 games.
Isaac Ontiveros retired four batters out of the bullpen with only a hit allowed. He would be lifted from the game after the lightning delay.
ACCORDING TO COACH EDDIE CORNEJO
"We have yet to figure out how to play on the road [in openers]. Regardless of how recent we've played offensively this was a humbling day and we need to adapt quicker."
Â
UP NEXT
In an effort to avoid inclement weather, CSUN will play Mercer in a Friday doubleheader to close the series. Both ends of the twin bill are scheduled seven-inning games. The opener is set for 8 a.m. (PT).
Â
#GoMatadors
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Colton Cosper (2-2)
L: Braun, Lucas (2-4)
Batting:
2B: Neighbors, Kamau 1 ; Le, Mason 1
HR: Neighbors, Kamau 1
RBI: Neighbors, Kamau 1 ; Le, Mason 1
SH: Barraza, Nathan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Neighbors, Kamau 1 ; Barraza, Nathan 1
HBP: Simons, Jakob 1
Batting:
2B: Carter Geier 1
HR: Jozsef Rohrbacher 1 ; Antonio Brown 1 ; Carter Sanford 1
RBI: Jozsef Rohrbacher 4 ; Antonio Brown 1 ; Carter Sanford 2 ; Bradley Frye 1
SH: Trevor Austin 1 ; Carter Geier 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Jozsef Rohrbacher 1 ; Antonio Brown 1 ; Trevor Austin 1 ; Carter Sanford 1 ; Conner Todaro 2 ; Carter Geier 1 ; Bradley Frye 2
SB: Jozsef Rohrbacher 1
CS: Treyson Hughes 1
HBP: Jozsef Rohrbacher 1 ; Carter Sanford 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
1
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
1
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
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