Friday, May 12
Northridge, Calif.
1:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
26-22, 17-8
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UC Santa Barbara
26-20, 13-12
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UC Santa Barbara
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9
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CSUN
2
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0
1
3
9
2
Photo by: Connor Clark
CSUN Extends Big West Winning Streak to 10 With Sweep of UCSB
5/12/2023 6:39:00 PM | Softball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.—CSUN increased its Big West winning streak to 10 as the Matadors swept UC Santa Barbara Friday afternoon in league softball action. The Matadors have not lost a Big West game since Apr. 22 at UC Riverside (3-0). CSUN has won eight in a row since losing Apr. 25 to No. 2 UCLA 7-2.
ACCORDING TO HEAD COACH CHARLOTTE MORGAN
GAME 1
Mia Cortez's two-out RBI single on a 2-2 count in the bottom of the seventh sent CSUN past UC Santa Barbara 3-2 in the opener.
CSUN opened the scoring in the bottom of the first. Kaylee Escutia beat out an infield single with two outs. Running all the way, Shaylan Whatman scored to give the Matadors a 1-0 lead. Alexa Landeros followed with a triple to the right-center field gap to drive in Escutia.
Madelyn McNally reached on an infield single with one out in the top of the third. Sam Denehy slapped a single down the third base line to advance McNally to second. Ashley Donaldson hit a grounder to second where Carys Murakami threw to Sydney Freijanes for the out. Freijanes attempted to complete the double play, but her throw was high and allowed McNally to score. Alexa Sams singled up the middle to keep the inning going. Daryn Siegel's liner to right sent the game to the bottom of the frame.
Jazzy Santos reached on a Freijanes' error to lead off the top of the fourth. Korie Thomas singled to left. Bella Fuentes attempted to sacrifice the runners up a base. She popped up the attempt. Alexis Garcia made a diving catch for the first out. Garcia got up and threw back to Murakami, covering first to retire Fuentes to complete the double play. Makayla Newson tripled to the gap in right-center to drive in Santos to tie the game.
CSUN threatened in the bottom of the sixth. Escutia led off with a double to the left-center gap. Reagan Jackson ran for Escutia. With one out, Kylie Galindo singled to center. Jackson rounded third and was thrown out at home by Denehy.
Donaldson doubled off the right field fence with two outs in the top of the seventh. She advanced to third on a Galindo passed ball. Lauryn Carranco got Sams to line out to end the frame.
Vinessa Nunez hit an opposite-field single down the right field line with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Whatman grounded into a 6-4 fielder's choice. Whatman stole second, setting the stage for Cortez's game-winning hit.
Both teams posted nine hits. Donaldson, Sams, and Thomas combined for six (two each). Escutia led the Matadors as she went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Whatman scored twice. Carranco improved to 9-7 as she posted her sixth complete game of the season. She struck out four and walked one.
GAME 2
Isabella Alonso tossed a four-hitter as the Matadors defeated the Gauchos 8-1 in the nightcap.
McNally opened game two with an opposite field single to left. She stole second before Denehy singled to center. Donaldson's sacrifice fly to left plated McNally for a 1-0 advantage.
Whatman led off the bottom of the third with a single to center. Murakami's sacrifice attempt was successful as Whatman advanced to second Carman's opposite-field single to right moved Whatman to third. Escutia hit her third home run of the year, an opposite-field blast to right center, to make it 3-1 in favor of the Matadors.
Malaya Johnson, the UCSB starter, issued a pair of four-pitch walks later in the inning. Landeros who received one of the walks, stole third and scored on a throwing error by Siegel, the catcher. Freijanes drove in Vargas Sandoval for a 5-1 lead.
Landeros tied the CSUN Division I single-season record for most triples in a season when she recorded her sixth with one out in the bottom of the fifth. She tied Taylor Glover, who previously set the record in 2014. McNally came home with a Kaeka grounder, but Landeros beat the throw to score the run. Kaeka advanced to second on an Ava Bradford wild pitch. Vargas Sandoval hit her second home run of the season to make it 8-1 in favor of the Matadors.
Alonso struck out five and walked three as she recorded her fourth complete game of the season. Landeros was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Whatman was 2-for-4. McNally had two of the fourth UCSB hits.
UP NEXT
CSUN (27-22, 18-8 Big West) and UC Santa Barbara (26-20, 13-12 Big West) close the regular season Saturday. ESPN+ streams the game beginning at 1 p.m., with the Matadors' senior ceremony honoring Kayla Dominguez, Allie Gardiner, and Kaeka being conducted after the game is over.
ACCORDING TO HEAD COACH CHARLOTTE MORGAN
Coach Morgan's comments after the sweep of UCSB on Friday. pic.twitter.com/br6jqdhAC6
— CSUN Softball (@CSUNSoftball) May 13, 2023
GAME 1
Mia Cortez's two-out RBI single on a 2-2 count in the bottom of the seventh sent CSUN past UC Santa Barbara 3-2 in the opener.
CSUN opened the scoring in the bottom of the first. Kaylee Escutia beat out an infield single with two outs. Running all the way, Shaylan Whatman scored to give the Matadors a 1-0 lead. Alexa Landeros followed with a triple to the right-center field gap to drive in Escutia.
Madelyn McNally reached on an infield single with one out in the top of the third. Sam Denehy slapped a single down the third base line to advance McNally to second. Ashley Donaldson hit a grounder to second where Carys Murakami threw to Sydney Freijanes for the out. Freijanes attempted to complete the double play, but her throw was high and allowed McNally to score. Alexa Sams singled up the middle to keep the inning going. Daryn Siegel's liner to right sent the game to the bottom of the frame.
Jazzy Santos reached on a Freijanes' error to lead off the top of the fourth. Korie Thomas singled to left. Bella Fuentes attempted to sacrifice the runners up a base. She popped up the attempt. Alexis Garcia made a diving catch for the first out. Garcia got up and threw back to Murakami, covering first to retire Fuentes to complete the double play. Makayla Newson tripled to the gap in right-center to drive in Santos to tie the game.
CSUN threatened in the bottom of the sixth. Escutia led off with a double to the left-center gap. Reagan Jackson ran for Escutia. With one out, Kylie Galindo singled to center. Jackson rounded third and was thrown out at home by Denehy.
Donaldson doubled off the right field fence with two outs in the top of the seventh. She advanced to third on a Galindo passed ball. Lauryn Carranco got Sams to line out to end the frame.
Vinessa Nunez hit an opposite-field single down the right field line with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Whatman grounded into a 6-4 fielder's choice. Whatman stole second, setting the stage for Cortez's game-winning hit.
Both teams posted nine hits. Donaldson, Sams, and Thomas combined for six (two each). Escutia led the Matadors as she went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Whatman scored twice. Carranco improved to 9-7 as she posted her sixth complete game of the season. She struck out four and walked one.
GAME 2
Isabella Alonso tossed a four-hitter as the Matadors defeated the Gauchos 8-1 in the nightcap.
McNally opened game two with an opposite field single to left. She stole second before Denehy singled to center. Donaldson's sacrifice fly to left plated McNally for a 1-0 advantage.
Whatman led off the bottom of the third with a single to center. Murakami's sacrifice attempt was successful as Whatman advanced to second Carman's opposite-field single to right moved Whatman to third. Escutia hit her third home run of the year, an opposite-field blast to right center, to make it 3-1 in favor of the Matadors.
Malaya Johnson, the UCSB starter, issued a pair of four-pitch walks later in the inning. Landeros who received one of the walks, stole third and scored on a throwing error by Siegel, the catcher. Freijanes drove in Vargas Sandoval for a 5-1 lead.
Landeros tied the CSUN Division I single-season record for most triples in a season when she recorded her sixth with one out in the bottom of the fifth. She tied Taylor Glover, who previously set the record in 2014. McNally came home with a Kaeka grounder, but Landeros beat the throw to score the run. Kaeka advanced to second on an Ava Bradford wild pitch. Vargas Sandoval hit her second home run of the season to make it 8-1 in favor of the Matadors.
Alonso struck out five and walked three as she recorded her fourth complete game of the season. Landeros was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Whatman was 2-for-4. McNally had two of the fourth UCSB hits.
UP NEXT
CSUN (27-22, 18-8 Big West) and UC Santa Barbara (26-20, 13-12 Big West) close the regular season Saturday. ESPN+ streams the game beginning at 1 p.m., with the Matadors' senior ceremony honoring Kayla Dominguez, Allie Gardiner, and Kaeka being conducted after the game is over.
~#UniteTheValley~
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Carranco, Lauryn (9-7)
L: Camryn Snyder (13-9)
Batting:
2B: Ashley Donaldson 1
3B: Makayla Newsom 1
RBI: Makayla Newsom 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Madelyn McNally 1 ; Jazzy Santos 1
SB: Ashley Donaldson 1
Batting:
2B: Escutia, Kaylee 1
3B: Landeros, Alexa 1
RBI: Cortez, Mia 1 ; Escutia, Kaylee 1 ; Landeros, Alexa 1
SH: Murakami, Carys 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Whatman, Shaylan 2 ; Escutia, Kaylee 1
SB: Whatman, Shaylan 1
HBP: Murakami, Carys 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
AB
1
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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