Friday, March 15
San Luis Obispo, Calif.
6:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
9-8, 0-1
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Cal Poly
9-8, 1-0
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CSUN
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Cal Poly
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Photo by: Connor Clark
CSUN Falls in Extras at Cal Poly to Start Big West Play
3/15/2024 9:55:00 PM | Baseball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.---CSUN Baseball dropped a 5-4 decision in 10 innings at Cal Poly in both teams' Big West opener on Friday at Baggett Stadium. Thomas Bainton tossed seven innings, allowing four runs with three earned to go with five strikeouts. Kamau Neighbors totaled two hits with an RBI while Jakob Simons drove in two runs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
CSUN fell behind by three different deficits in the game, beginning in the first inning. The Mustangs picked up back-to-back singles to start the first, setting the table for Ryan Fenn who doubled in both runs. Bainton would rally to retire three of the next four batters to keep the deficit at 2-0.
CSUN answered back in the top of the third to even the game up. Neighbors and Shunsuke Sakaino began the rally with a double and a walk, respectively. Simons and Nathan Barraza followed with RBI singles to square the game at 2-2.
The Mustangs would take advantage of a CSUN miscue to reclaim the lead in the fourth inning. After Bainton retired two of the first three batters to begin the inning, Evan Cloyd hit a grounder to short, but a throwing error to first base allowed Casey Murray to score the go-ahead run.
That lead was short-lived though as the the Matadors took advantage of a Cal Poly error to plate their third run. Bren Wilkinson drew a walk to start then would advance to third base on a failed pickoff from Jakob Wright. Neighbors drove in Wilkinson moments later on a sacrifice fly.
Bainton tossed a scoreless fifth but gave up the go-ahead run in the sixth on an Aaron Casillias sacrifice fly. CSUN's right hander though bounced back to strikeout Cloyd for the third out before tossing a 1-2-3 seventh to end his time on the mound.
CSUN again battled back in the top of the seventh to even the game once more at 4-4. Andrew Sojka, Neighbors and Sakaino drew walks in the frame before Simons hit a towering fly ball to center field for a sacrifice fly.
The Matadors would have chances to take the lead over the eighth and ninth innings but could not cash in on opportunities. CSUN left a runner at third base in the eighth when Sojka was retired on strikes. An inning later, the Matadors had runners at first and second base with one out, but Simons struck out and Barraza fouled out to end the threat.
With the score still tied, Cal Poly would take advantage of its scoring chance in the 10th. A leadoff walk to Jake Steels began the inning then Ryan Stafford reached on an infield single. Fenn stepped to the plate next and hit a walk-off single through the right side.
NOTES OF THE GAME
UP NEXT
CSUN plays Cal Poly in game two of their three-game series on Saturday at 3 p.m. on ESPN+.
#GoMatadors
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HOW IT HAPPENED
CSUN fell behind by three different deficits in the game, beginning in the first inning. The Mustangs picked up back-to-back singles to start the first, setting the table for Ryan Fenn who doubled in both runs. Bainton would rally to retire three of the next four batters to keep the deficit at 2-0.
CSUN answered back in the top of the third to even the game up. Neighbors and Shunsuke Sakaino began the rally with a double and a walk, respectively. Simons and Nathan Barraza followed with RBI singles to square the game at 2-2.
The Mustangs would take advantage of a CSUN miscue to reclaim the lead in the fourth inning. After Bainton retired two of the first three batters to begin the inning, Evan Cloyd hit a grounder to short, but a throwing error to first base allowed Casey Murray to score the go-ahead run.
That lead was short-lived though as the the Matadors took advantage of a Cal Poly error to plate their third run. Bren Wilkinson drew a walk to start then would advance to third base on a failed pickoff from Jakob Wright. Neighbors drove in Wilkinson moments later on a sacrifice fly.
Bainton tossed a scoreless fifth but gave up the go-ahead run in the sixth on an Aaron Casillias sacrifice fly. CSUN's right hander though bounced back to strikeout Cloyd for the third out before tossing a 1-2-3 seventh to end his time on the mound.
CSUN again battled back in the top of the seventh to even the game once more at 4-4. Andrew Sojka, Neighbors and Sakaino drew walks in the frame before Simons hit a towering fly ball to center field for a sacrifice fly.
The Matadors would have chances to take the lead over the eighth and ninth innings but could not cash in on opportunities. CSUN left a runner at third base in the eighth when Sojka was retired on strikes. An inning later, the Matadors had runners at first and second base with one out, but Simons struck out and Barraza fouled out to end the threat.
With the score still tied, Cal Poly would take advantage of its scoring chance in the 10th. A leadoff walk to Jake Steels began the inning then Ryan Stafford reached on an infield single. Fenn stepped to the plate next and hit a walk-off single through the right side.
NOTES OF THE GAME
- CSUN falls to 9-8 overall and 0-1 in Big West play while Cal Poly improves to 8-7 overall and 1-0 in conference.
- The Matadors have lost their last five games by a combined seven runs.
- Hayden Hall worked two-plus innings out of the bullpen, allowing one run to go with four strikeouts.
- Sakaino reached base four times, all without a hit as he walked three times and was hit by a pitch once.
UP NEXT
CSUN plays Cal Poly in game two of their three-game series on Saturday at 3 p.m. on ESPN+.
#GoMatadors
Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Sagouspe, Tanner (3-0)
L: Hall, Hayden (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Neighbors, Kamau 1
RBI: Neighbors, Kamau 1 ; Simons, Jakob 2 ; Barraza, Nathan 1
SH: Le, Mason 2 ; Wilkinson, Bren 1
SF: Neighbors, Kamau 1 ; Simons, Jakob 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Neighbors, Kamau 1 ; Sakaino, Shunsuke 1 ; Sojka, Andrew 1 ; Wilkinson, Bren 1
SB: Simons, Jakob 1
CS: Simons, Jakob 1
HBP: Sakaino, Shunsuke 1 ; Linberg, Will 1
Batting:
2B: Fenn, Ryan 1 ; Garza, Alejandro 1 ; Murray, Casey 1
RBI: Fenn, Ryan 3 ; Casillas, Aaron 1
SF: Casillas, Aaron 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Steels, Jake 2 ; Stafford, Ryan 1 ; Garza, Alejandro 1 ; Murray, Casey 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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