Sunday, March 24
Riverside, Calif.
11:00 a.m.
California State University at Northridge
14-9, 0
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UC Riverside
9-12, 0
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CSUN
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UC Riverside
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Photo by: Chuck Marvel
CSUN Completes the Sweep of UC Riverside, 4-1
3/24/2024 4:10:00 PM | Baseball
RIVERSIDE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball scored three runs in the eighth to break a 1-1 tie and held on for a 4-1 victory over UC Riverside, completing a three-game sweep, on Sunday at Riverside Sports Complex. Ben Griffin squeezed in the game-winning run from third and finished with two hits. Six CSUN pitchers combined to hold the Highlanders to just a single run on eight hits. The Matadors have now won five straight games.
HOW IT HAPPENED
A day after both teams combined to score 28 runs in a wild game two on Saturday, runs would be hard to come by for most of Sunday's game.
CSUN would break through first in the top of the second inning when Andrew Gauna came away with a two-out RBI single to drive in Griffin for a 1-0 lead.
However, UCR's Kurt Marton turned things around after giving up the run in the second. CSUN threatened in the third with runners at first and second and two outs, but Marton retired Griffin for the third out. Marton went on to retire 12 of 13 Matadors to keep the game close.
Meanwhile, CSUN picked up a solid spot start from Justin Vose on Sunday. The southpaw stranded a runner in the first and second inning before pitching around a leadoff single in the third inning. Vose retired the side in order in the fourth inning, striking out Bubba Rocha for his final out of the day.
After Vose surrendered a leadoff double to Jayden Lopez in the fifth, Diego Gutierrez took over on the mound. Lopez would eventually score the tying run on a pair of groundouts to even the game at 1-1, but Gutierrez kept the Highlanders off the scoreboard for the rest of the frame.
Hayden Cody and Gabriel Hernandez teamed up to toss a scoreless sixth with Griffin coming up with a timely pickoff of Dominic Martinez at first base for the third out. UCR loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, but Hayden Hall came out of the bullpen to induce a 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Jayden Sanchez.
Scoreless since the second inning, the Matador bats finally came alive in the eighth. Jakob Simons ledoff with an infield single before swiping second base. After an intentional walk to Kevin Fitzer, Simons made it to third base on a failed pickoff attempt. Moments later, Griffin executed a squeeze bunt to bring in the go-ahead run. CSUN then picked up a timely RBI single from Jarren Sanderson and an RBI triple from Shunsuke Sakaino to take a 4-1 lead.
CSUN's bullpen would have to battle through the final two innings. In the eighth, the Highlanders loaded the bases with one out again before Joshua Romero forced Rocha to ground into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. Romero would have to work out of trouble in the ninth as well as he struck out two and stranded two more base runners.
NOTES OF THE GAME
ACCORDING TO COACH EDDIE CORNEJO
"Justin [Vose] continues to perform in a variety of roles. He has come a long way and I'm very happy for the success he has found this season. Our bullpen and defense showed well today and allowed our offense to settle in.
"Sweeping in the Big West is tough to do let alone doing it on the road. I'm proud of how we kept up the energy through the weekend and overcame some mistakes."
UP NEXT
CSUN stays on the road to take on California Baptist on Monday at 3 p.m.
#GoMatadors
Â
HOW IT HAPPENED
A day after both teams combined to score 28 runs in a wild game two on Saturday, runs would be hard to come by for most of Sunday's game.
CSUN would break through first in the top of the second inning when Andrew Gauna came away with a two-out RBI single to drive in Griffin for a 1-0 lead.
However, UCR's Kurt Marton turned things around after giving up the run in the second. CSUN threatened in the third with runners at first and second and two outs, but Marton retired Griffin for the third out. Marton went on to retire 12 of 13 Matadors to keep the game close.
Meanwhile, CSUN picked up a solid spot start from Justin Vose on Sunday. The southpaw stranded a runner in the first and second inning before pitching around a leadoff single in the third inning. Vose retired the side in order in the fourth inning, striking out Bubba Rocha for his final out of the day.
After Vose surrendered a leadoff double to Jayden Lopez in the fifth, Diego Gutierrez took over on the mound. Lopez would eventually score the tying run on a pair of groundouts to even the game at 1-1, but Gutierrez kept the Highlanders off the scoreboard for the rest of the frame.
Hayden Cody and Gabriel Hernandez teamed up to toss a scoreless sixth with Griffin coming up with a timely pickoff of Dominic Martinez at first base for the third out. UCR loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, but Hayden Hall came out of the bullpen to induce a 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Jayden Sanchez.
Scoreless since the second inning, the Matador bats finally came alive in the eighth. Jakob Simons ledoff with an infield single before swiping second base. After an intentional walk to Kevin Fitzer, Simons made it to third base on a failed pickoff attempt. Moments later, Griffin executed a squeeze bunt to bring in the go-ahead run. CSUN then picked up a timely RBI single from Jarren Sanderson and an RBI triple from Shunsuke Sakaino to take a 4-1 lead.
CSUN's bullpen would have to battle through the final two innings. In the eighth, the Highlanders loaded the bases with one out again before Joshua Romero forced Rocha to ground into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. Romero would have to work out of trouble in the ninth as well as he struck out two and stranded two more base runners.
NOTES OF THE GAME
- CSUN improves to 14-9 overall and 4-2 in Big West play while UC Riverside falls to 9-12 overall and 0-3 in conference.
- CSUN's bullpen combined to toss five shutout innings, scattering five hits.
- Hall earned his third win and second of the series with one inning of work.
- Romero notched his third save of the season and 16th of his career.
- Along with Griffin, Kamau Neighbors and Simons finished with two hits apiece.
- Fitzer, who drew two walks, reached base for the 20th consecutive game.
- CSUN has won 10 straight over UC Riverside dating back to 2021.
ACCORDING TO COACH EDDIE CORNEJO
"Justin [Vose] continues to perform in a variety of roles. He has come a long way and I'm very happy for the success he has found this season. Our bullpen and defense showed well today and allowed our offense to settle in.
"Sweeping in the Big West is tough to do let alone doing it on the road. I'm proud of how we kept up the energy through the weekend and overcame some mistakes."
UP NEXT
CSUN stays on the road to take on California Baptist on Monday at 3 p.m.
#GoMatadors
Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hall, Hayden (3-1)
L: Appleford, James (0-1)
S: Romero, Joshua (3)
Batting:
3B: Sakaino, Shunsuke 1
RBI: Griffin, Ben 1 ; Sanderson, Jarren 1 ; Sakaino, Shunsuke 1 ; Gauna, Andrew 1
SH: Griffin, Ben 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Simons, Jakob 1 ; Fitzer, Kevin 1 ; Griffin, Ben 1 ; Sanderson, Jarren 1
SB: Simons, Jakob 1 ; Fitzer, Kevin 1 ; Gauna, Andrew 1
HBP: Neighbors, Kamau 1 ; Sakaino, Shunsuke 1
PO: Linberg, Will 1
Batting:
2B: Lopez, Jayden 1
RBI: Rivas, Andrew 1
SH: Weaver, Tyler 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lopez, Jayden 1
CS: Chamizo, Zachary 1 ; Sanchez, Jayden 1
PO: Martinez, Dominic 1
Game Leaders
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RBI
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H
1
RBI
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