Friday, March 22
Riverside, Calif.
6:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
12-9, 2-2
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UC Riverside
9-10, 0-1
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CSUN
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UC Riverside
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Photo by: Chuck Marvel
CSUN Offense Comes Alive Late to Defeat UC Riverside, 8-4
3/22/2024 9:32:00 PM | Baseball
RIVERSIDE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball scored seven times over the final four frames in an 8-4 win over UC Riverside in the series opener on Friday at Riverside Sports Complex. Kevin Fitzer racked up four hits including two triples to go with two RBI while Will Linberg drove in three runs. Joshua Romero worked the final three innings, allowing one hit en route to picking up his sixth win of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
CSUN's starter Thomas Bainton earned the Friday start and kept the Matadors in the game throughout his five innings of work. In the first, he stranded a runner at third in a scoreless inning, but the Highlanders broke through first in the second. In the frame, UCR loaded the bases with two outs before Anthony Mata came through with a two-run double. Bainton though left two base runners in the second inning, retiring Zachary Chamizo for the third out.
The Matadors quickly got a run back in the third with a two-out rally. Jakob Simons picked up an infield single with two outs to set the table before Fitzer rifled a double down the left-field line to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Bainton held the Highlanders off the scoreboard over the third and fourth innings, however, UCR came away with another timely two-out hit, this time from Bubba Rocha, to drive in Cole Koniarsky for a 3-1 lead.
CSUN had a runner thrown out at home plate in the fifth inning but responded in the sixth. After one-out singles from Jarren Sanderson and Andrew Gauna, Kamau Neighbors was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Linberg came to the plate with two outs and hit a grounder to second base. Tyler Weaver fielded the Linberg grounder but committed a throwing error, allowing two runs to score to tie the game at 3-3.
Fitzer started another rally in the seventh with a leadoff triple before eventually scoring on a Ben Griffin sacrifice fly. The Highlanders though responded with a single tally in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI double from Koniarsky.
The Matadors broke the tie once more in the eighth after a barrage of hits. Gauna began the inning with a leadoff single, and he would reach second on a Mason Le sacrifice bunt. Kamau Neighbors picked up a single and Linberg followed with a single of his own to drive in two runs.
Fitzer capped a three-run inning with his second triple of the night for a 7-4 lead. The Matadors would add an insurance run in the eighth when Le reached on an infield single and a throwing error on the play allowed Shunsuke Sakaino to score.
Romero cooled the Highlander bats over the final three innings to secure a win. After surrendering the double to Koniarsky in the seventh, Romero would not allow a base hit for the rest of the way. He pitched around an error and a walk in the eighth before retiring three of four batters in a scoreless bottom of the ninth.
NOTES OF THE GAME
ACCORDING TO COACH EDDIE CORNEJO
"We came out a little flat early in the ballgame but turned it around once they scored. Kevin Fitzer carried us and we had timely quality at bats. Thomas Bainton didn't have his best stuff, but he kept us in it. Our bullpen and our defense deserves a lot of credit for tonight's win."
UP NEXT
CSUN continues its weekend series with UC Riverside on Saturday night at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.
#GoMatadors
HOW IT HAPPENED
CSUN's starter Thomas Bainton earned the Friday start and kept the Matadors in the game throughout his five innings of work. In the first, he stranded a runner at third in a scoreless inning, but the Highlanders broke through first in the second. In the frame, UCR loaded the bases with two outs before Anthony Mata came through with a two-run double. Bainton though left two base runners in the second inning, retiring Zachary Chamizo for the third out.
The Matadors quickly got a run back in the third with a two-out rally. Jakob Simons picked up an infield single with two outs to set the table before Fitzer rifled a double down the left-field line to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Kevin Fitzer gets us on the scoreboard ??#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/Fb2m99lxay
— CSUN Baseball (@CSUNBaseball) March 23, 2024
Bainton held the Highlanders off the scoreboard over the third and fourth innings, however, UCR came away with another timely two-out hit, this time from Bubba Rocha, to drive in Cole Koniarsky for a 3-1 lead.
CSUN had a runner thrown out at home plate in the fifth inning but responded in the sixth. After one-out singles from Jarren Sanderson and Andrew Gauna, Kamau Neighbors was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Linberg came to the plate with two outs and hit a grounder to second base. Tyler Weaver fielded the Linberg grounder but committed a throwing error, allowing two runs to score to tie the game at 3-3.
Fitzer started another rally in the seventh with a leadoff triple before eventually scoring on a Ben Griffin sacrifice fly. The Highlanders though responded with a single tally in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI double from Koniarsky.
The Matadors broke the tie once more in the eighth after a barrage of hits. Gauna began the inning with a leadoff single, and he would reach second on a Mason Le sacrifice bunt. Kamau Neighbors picked up a single and Linberg followed with a single of his own to drive in two runs.
Back in front!
— CSUN Baseball (@CSUNBaseball) March 23, 2024
Will Linberg does it again with a 2-run single to put us back on top. #GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/uVrVNc0l4E
Fitzer capped a three-run inning with his second triple of the night for a 7-4 lead. The Matadors would add an insurance run in the eighth when Le reached on an infield single and a throwing error on the play allowed Shunsuke Sakaino to score.
He's having a night
— CSUN Baseball (@CSUNBaseball) March 23, 2024
Kevin Fitzer is now 4-for-4 with 2 triples as he drives in another for CSUN#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/MWXsDiL6th
Romero cooled the Highlander bats over the final three innings to secure a win. After surrendering the double to Koniarsky in the seventh, Romero would not allow a base hit for the rest of the way. He pitched around an error and a walk in the eighth before retiring three of four batters in a scoreless bottom of the ninth.
NOTES OF THE GAME
- CSUN improves to 12-9 overall and 2-2 in Big West play while UC Riverside falls to 9-10 overall and 0-1 in conference.
- Fitzer is the first Matador since Ridge Carpenter in 2011 to have two triples in a single game. He has also reached base safely in 18-straight games.
- Each Matador hitter reached base safely in the game while eight recorded hits and seven scored runs.
- Gauna and Sakaino each had two-hit games.
- Bainton allowed three runs in five innings to go with seven strikeouts. Justin Vose relieved Bainton in the sixth and tossed a shutout frame.
ACCORDING TO COACH EDDIE CORNEJO
"We came out a little flat early in the ballgame but turned it around once they scored. Kevin Fitzer carried us and we had timely quality at bats. Thomas Bainton didn't have his best stuff, but he kept us in it. Our bullpen and our defense deserves a lot of credit for tonight's win."
UP NEXT
CSUN continues its weekend series with UC Riverside on Saturday night at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.
#GoMatadors
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Romero, Joshua (6-1)
L: Capacete II, Alfredo (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Fitzer, Kevin 1
3B: Fitzer, Kevin 2
RBI: Linberg, Will 3 ; Fitzer, Kevin 2 ; Griffin, Ben 1
SH: Le, Mason 1
SF: Griffin, Ben 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Neighbors, Kamau 1 ; Linberg, Will 1 ; Simons, Jakob 1 ; Fitzer, Kevin 1 ; Sakaino, Shunsuke 1 ; Sanderson, Jarren 1 ; Gauna, Andrew 2
HBP: Neighbors, Kamau 1 ; Simons, Jakob 1 ; Griffin, Ben 1
Batting:
2B: Mata, Anthony 1 ; Koniarsky, Cole 1
RBI: Mata, Anthony 2 ; Koniarsky, Cole 1 ; Rocha, Bubba 1
SH: Tallerman, Zach 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Chamizo, Zachary 1 ; Koniarsky, Cole 1 ; Rocha, Bubba 1 ; Tallerman, Zach 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
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RBI
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AB
5
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H
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RBI
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AB
5
R
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H
2
RBI
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5
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
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