Saturday, February 17
Northridge, Calif.
2:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
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Utah Valley
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Utah Valley
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CSUN
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Photo by: Chuck Marvel
CSUN Rally Falls Just Short Against Utah Valley
2/17/2024 7:56:00 PM | Baseball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball nearly erased another late deficit, but Utah Valley would hold on for a 6-5 win to even the teams' weekend series on Saturday at Matador Field. Ben Geiffin finished with two hits and two runs scored while Andrew Sojka homered for the first time this season. CSUN scored twice in the bottom of the ninth, but a diving catch in right field with two outs and the tying run at second base secured a win for the Wolverines.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Hits would be hard to come by in the early innings of Saturday's game. Ryan Halamicek made his first collegiate start and kept the Wolverines out of the scoring column through the first five frames. Halamicek stranded runners at the corners in the opening inning before retiring seven-straight batters in the early going. After surrendering a leadoff single in the fourth, Halamicek sat down six of the next seven batters.
On the flip side, CSUN was held without a hit through the first four innings as Utah Valley pitching faced just one over the minimum during that span. Griffin finally broke up the no-hitter in the fifth before Andrew Gauna drew a walk. CSUN would manufacture the first run of the game on sacrifice bunts from Sojka and Shunsuke Sakaino leading to Griffin touching home plate.
CSUN's 1-0 lead was short lived though as Utah Valley put the first two hitters on base to begin the sixth. Hayden Cody relieved Halamicek and went on to strike out the first batter he faced. However, the Wolverines executed a double steal then picked up an RBI single from Matthew Schwarz. Cole Jordan though provided the big blow, a three-run homer for a 4-1 lead.
The Matadors were able to get a run back in the bottom of the sixth on a Kamau Neighbors double to plate Roberto Gonzalez. CSUN pulled another run closer in the seventh courtesy of a solo homer from Sojka.
Blake Ignaciak gave CSUN a lift with a shutout 1.1 innings while Adan Perez tossed a shutout eighth. However, Utah Valley leaned on the long ball again in the ninth as Daniel Dickinson belted a two-run homer for a 6-3 lead.
Down to its final at-bat, CSUN began to rally from the three-run deficit. Griffin reached base on an infield single to begin the ninth before Will Linberg followed with a single of his own. Sojka and Sakaino grounded out to cut the deficit to 6-4 then pinch hitter Matthew Pena blasted an RBI double to pull CSUN to within one. Gonzalez stepped to the plate next and hit a sinking drive to right field, but Jordan made a diving catch for the final out of the game.
NOTES OF THE GAME
"There was certainly a fight to the end. We gave some guys good opportunities to get in there in pinch hit and pinch run situations. We want to see what kind of team we really have. Early on in the season, this is why we do it. I was a little disappointed in certain performances. Halamicek, for his first start, he did great, he's got to learn that there's more fuel in the tank. Ultimately, it's the free passes that kill us. It's all the freebies we issue. It's fundamental baseball and I thought we beat ourselves today."
UP NEXT
CSUN plays Utah Valley in the rubber game of their series on Sunday at 10 a.m. Ghizal Hasan has the call at GoMatadors.com/Radio.
#GoMatadors
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HOW IT HAPPENED
Hits would be hard to come by in the early innings of Saturday's game. Ryan Halamicek made his first collegiate start and kept the Wolverines out of the scoring column through the first five frames. Halamicek stranded runners at the corners in the opening inning before retiring seven-straight batters in the early going. After surrendering a leadoff single in the fourth, Halamicek sat down six of the next seven batters.
On the flip side, CSUN was held without a hit through the first four innings as Utah Valley pitching faced just one over the minimum during that span. Griffin finally broke up the no-hitter in the fifth before Andrew Gauna drew a walk. CSUN would manufacture the first run of the game on sacrifice bunts from Sojka and Shunsuke Sakaino leading to Griffin touching home plate.
CSUN's 1-0 lead was short lived though as Utah Valley put the first two hitters on base to begin the sixth. Hayden Cody relieved Halamicek and went on to strike out the first batter he faced. However, the Wolverines executed a double steal then picked up an RBI single from Matthew Schwarz. Cole Jordan though provided the big blow, a three-run homer for a 4-1 lead.
The Matadors were able to get a run back in the bottom of the sixth on a Kamau Neighbors double to plate Roberto Gonzalez. CSUN pulled another run closer in the seventh courtesy of a solo homer from Sojka.
Blake Ignaciak gave CSUN a lift with a shutout 1.1 innings while Adan Perez tossed a shutout eighth. However, Utah Valley leaned on the long ball again in the ninth as Daniel Dickinson belted a two-run homer for a 6-3 lead.
Down to its final at-bat, CSUN began to rally from the three-run deficit. Griffin reached base on an infield single to begin the ninth before Will Linberg followed with a single of his own. Sojka and Sakaino grounded out to cut the deficit to 6-4 then pinch hitter Matthew Pena blasted an RBI double to pull CSUN to within one. Gonzalez stepped to the plate next and hit a sinking drive to right field, but Jordan made a diving catch for the final out of the game.
NOTES OF THE GAME
- CSUN falls to 1-1 on the season.
- Freshman Ryan Halamicek worked five innings, allowing two runs on three hits to go with two strikeouts.
- Juniors Blake Ignaciak and Adan Perez also made their Matador debuts in the game out of the bullpen. Ignaciak struck out three in his first outing while Perez gave up two runs in two innings of work.
- Shunsuke Sakaino drove in two runs without the benefit of a hit in three at bats.
"There was certainly a fight to the end. We gave some guys good opportunities to get in there in pinch hit and pinch run situations. We want to see what kind of team we really have. Early on in the season, this is why we do it. I was a little disappointed in certain performances. Halamicek, for his first start, he did great, he's got to learn that there's more fuel in the tank. Ultimately, it's the free passes that kill us. It's all the freebies we issue. It's fundamental baseball and I thought we beat ourselves today."
UP NEXT
CSUN plays Utah Valley in the rubber game of their series on Sunday at 10 a.m. Ghizal Hasan has the call at GoMatadors.com/Radio.
#GoMatadors
Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Fowlks, E. (1-0)
L: Halamicek, Ryan (0-1)
S: Rodabaugh, Reece (1)
Batting:
2B: Broussard, Garrett 1
HR: Dickinson, Daniel 1 ; Jordan, Cole 1
RBI: Dickinson, Daniel 2 ; Schwarz, Matthew 1 ; Jordan, Cole 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Dickinson, Daniel 2 ; Camper, Burke 1 ; Schwarz, Matthew 1 ; Jordan, Cole 1 ; Broussard, Garrett 1
SB: Dickinson, Daniel 1 ; Camper, Burke 1
CS: Cooke, Cougar 1
HBP: Camper, Burke 1 ; Bach, Nate 1
Batting:
2B: Simons, Jakob 1 ; Neighbors, Kamau 1 ; Pena, Matthew 1
HR: Sojka, Andrew 1
RBI: Neighbors, Kamau 1 ; Sojka, Andrew 1 ; Sakaino, Shunsuke 2 ; Pena, Matthew 1
SH: Sojka, Andrew 1 ; Sakaino, Shunsuke 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Griffin, Ben 2 ; Linberg, Will 1 ; Sojka, Andrew 1 ; Gonzalez, Roberto 1
SB: Neighbors, Kamau 1
HBP: Neighbors, Kamau 1
PO: Neighbors, Kamau 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
1
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
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