Friday, April 12
Northridge, Calif.
11:00 a.m.
California State University at Northridge
18-13, 7-3
8
vs
7
Long Beach State
17-13-1, 5-8
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3
4
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7
8
9
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H
E
Long Beach State
0
0
0
0
4
0
0
3
0
7
9
2
CSUN
0
0
2
3
0
0
0
0
3
8
11
0
Photo by: Chuck Marvel
CSUN Sweeps Doubleheader from Long Beach State to Clinch Series
4/12/2024 5:55:00 PM | Baseball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball secured a series win by sweeping a doubleheader from Long Beach State on Friday afternoon at Matador Field. The Matadors came from behind in the opener, scoring three times in the ninth to prevail 8-7 before winning game two by a 10-4 margin behind balanced hitting and strong pitching. Will Linberg came away with the walk-off hit in game one while Mason Le finished with four hits on the afternoon and Jakob Simons homered twice and drove in five total runs.
HOW IT HAPPENED IN GAME 1
CSUN stranded five base runners over the first two innings but finally broke through in the third behind a two-run homer from Simons. The Matadors would add three more runs in the fourth, first when Kevin Fitzer reached on a throwing error with two outs that allowed Mason Le to score from second base. Simons then belted another two-run home run off the left field foul poll for a 5-0 lead.
Thomas Bainton limited the Dirtbags to two hits over four scoreless innings to start, but Long Beach State roared back in the top of the fifth. The Dirtbags would get their first three hitters on the base before Kyle Ashworth and John Newman, Jr. hit sacrifice flies. Jack Hammond also came away with a two-out single to plate two more runs to cut the CSUN lead to 5-4.
Kenji Pallares would cool the Dirtbag hitters over the next two innings, but the bats came alive again in the eighth. After back-to-back singles to begin the inning, Santander rifled a two-run double to left field to give Long Beach State its first lead of the game. Nick Marinconz later added another run on a sacrifice fly for a 7-5 Dirtbag lead.
CSUN entered the bottom of the ninth still trailing by two before mounting one last rally against closer Mike Villani. Kamau Neighbors stroked a leadoff double to left, but the next two batters would be retired in order. Simons kept the game alive with a walk and pinch hitter Roberto Gonzalez followed with an RBI single through the right side to pull CSUN to within one. On the next pitch, Ben Griffin hit a liner to first base that went through Hammond into right field, allowing Simons to score the tying run.
With the game on the line, Linberg battled Villani through an eight-pitch at bat before hitting a game-winning single to left field, sending the Matadors to a game one win.
HOW IT HAPPENED IN GAME 2
CSUN kept its momentum going into game two where it took the lead in the top of the second. Simons and Jarren Sanderson reached to start the inning before Griffin hit an RBI double. Andrew Gauna later made it a 2-0 game on an RBI groundout.
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On the mound, Ryan Halamicek came out strong, retiring the first eight batters to begin the game. The Dirtbags would break through in the third with a two-out RBI single from Ashworth. Long Beach State picked up a solo homer from Santander in the fourth, but Halamicek went on to blank the Dirtbags in the fifth before giving way to the bullpen in the sixth.
CSUN reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single from Simons, but the Matadors were far from done in the frame. Griffin cashed in on a two-run single in the inning while Nathan Barraza rifled an RBI single through the left side to extend the lead to 6-2.
Long Beach State scratched across a run in the sixth, but CSUN responded with a big four-run seventh to break the game open. Back-to-back Dirtbag errors opened the door for the Matadors who picked up an RBI single from Neighbors and a big two-run homer from Fitzer to extend to a 10-3 lead.
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Ryan Wentz worked 2.2 innings out of the bullpen, allowing no runs and just two hits to help CSUN lead the rest of the way.
NOTES OF THE GAMES
ACCORDING TO COACH EDDIE CORNEJO
"I was proud with how we handled game two and after the emotion that we had in game one. Those games are really special, and we've had so many of them, I don't want to say I'm used to it, but these guys continue to fight and battle. I'm proud of them for that. Pitching was the star of the second game. We could have as much momentum as we want, but if Halamicek comes out flat and Ryan Wentz doesn't pick us up then it might be a different ballgame."
UP NEXT
Weather permitting, CSUN will wrap up its weekend series with Long Beach State on Sunday at 1 p.m. Stay tuned to GoMatadors.com for any further schedule updates.
#GoMatadors
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HOW IT HAPPENED IN GAME 1
CSUN stranded five base runners over the first two innings but finally broke through in the third behind a two-run homer from Simons. The Matadors would add three more runs in the fourth, first when Kevin Fitzer reached on a throwing error with two outs that allowed Mason Le to score from second base. Simons then belted another two-run home run off the left field foul poll for a 5-0 lead.
Thomas Bainton limited the Dirtbags to two hits over four scoreless innings to start, but Long Beach State roared back in the top of the fifth. The Dirtbags would get their first three hitters on the base before Kyle Ashworth and John Newman, Jr. hit sacrifice flies. Jack Hammond also came away with a two-out single to plate two more runs to cut the CSUN lead to 5-4.
Kenji Pallares would cool the Dirtbag hitters over the next two innings, but the bats came alive again in the eighth. After back-to-back singles to begin the inning, Santander rifled a two-run double to left field to give Long Beach State its first lead of the game. Nick Marinconz later added another run on a sacrifice fly for a 7-5 Dirtbag lead.
CSUN entered the bottom of the ninth still trailing by two before mounting one last rally against closer Mike Villani. Kamau Neighbors stroked a leadoff double to left, but the next two batters would be retired in order. Simons kept the game alive with a walk and pinch hitter Roberto Gonzalez followed with an RBI single through the right side to pull CSUN to within one. On the next pitch, Ben Griffin hit a liner to first base that went through Hammond into right field, allowing Simons to score the tying run.
With the game on the line, Linberg battled Villani through an eight-pitch at bat before hitting a game-winning single to left field, sending the Matadors to a game one win.
HOW IT HAPPENED IN GAME 2
CSUN kept its momentum going into game two where it took the lead in the top of the second. Simons and Jarren Sanderson reached to start the inning before Griffin hit an RBI double. Andrew Gauna later made it a 2-0 game on an RBI groundout.
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Ben Griffin gets us started with an RBI double.
— CSUN Baseball (@CSUNBaseball) April 12, 2024
CSUN up 2-1 in the 4th. #GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/iWyMvZ9d1O
On the mound, Ryan Halamicek came out strong, retiring the first eight batters to begin the game. The Dirtbags would break through in the third with a two-out RBI single from Ashworth. Long Beach State picked up a solo homer from Santander in the fourth, but Halamicek went on to blank the Dirtbags in the fifth before giving way to the bullpen in the sixth.
CSUN reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single from Simons, but the Matadors were far from done in the frame. Griffin cashed in on a two-run single in the inning while Nathan Barraza rifled an RBI single through the left side to extend the lead to 6-2.
Long Beach State scratched across a run in the sixth, but CSUN responded with a big four-run seventh to break the game open. Back-to-back Dirtbag errors opened the door for the Matadors who picked up an RBI single from Neighbors and a big two-run homer from Fitzer to extend to a 10-3 lead.
Â
FITZER. CYA. ??
— CSUN Baseball (@CSUNBaseball) April 12, 2024
10 home runs and 37 RBI on the season.#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/ZxsN1e4KuO
Ryan Wentz worked 2.2 innings out of the bullpen, allowing no runs and just two hits to help CSUN lead the rest of the way.
NOTES OF THE GAMES
- CSUN improves to 19-13 overall and 8-3 in Big West play while Long Beach State drops to 17-14-1 and 5-9.
- Fitzer extended his on-base streak to 28 games while Sanderson has reached in 16 straight.
- Neighbors has hit safely in 13 consecutive games.
- Joshua Romero notched his seventh win of the season after working two innings and allowing a run in the opener.
- Ryan Halamicek tossed 5.1 innings and allowed three runs on six hits.
ACCORDING TO COACH EDDIE CORNEJO
"I was proud with how we handled game two and after the emotion that we had in game one. Those games are really special, and we've had so many of them, I don't want to say I'm used to it, but these guys continue to fight and battle. I'm proud of them for that. Pitching was the star of the second game. We could have as much momentum as we want, but if Halamicek comes out flat and Ryan Wentz doesn't pick us up then it might be a different ballgame."
UP NEXT
Weather permitting, CSUN will wrap up its weekend series with Long Beach State on Sunday at 1 p.m. Stay tuned to GoMatadors.com for any further schedule updates.
#GoMatadors
Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Halamicek, Ryan (4-2)
L: Montgomery, Kellan (3-2)
Batting:
2B: Lopez, Adrian 1
3B: Champagne, Alex 1
HR: Santander, Cole 1 ; Marinconz, Nick 1
RBI: Ashworth, Kyle 1 ; Santander, Cole 2 ; Marinconz, Nick 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lopez, Adrian 1 ; Santander, Cole 1 ; Marinconz, Nick 1 ; Champagne, Alex 1
SB: Champagne, Alex 1
CS: Champagne, Alex 1
HBP: Hammond, Jack 1
Batting:
2B: Sakaino, Shunsuke 1 ; Griffin, Ben 1
HR: Fitzer, Kevin 1
RBI: Neighbors, Kamau 1 ; Fitzer, Kevin 2 ; Simons, Jakob 1 ; Griffin, Ben 3 ; Gauna, Andrew 1 ; Barraza, Nathan 1
SH: Le, Mason 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Neighbors, Kamau 1 ; Sakaino, Shunsuke 1 ; Fitzer, Kevin 1 ; Simons, Jakob 2 ; Sanderson, Jarren 2 ; Griffin, Ben 1 ; Gauna, Andrew 1 ; Le, Mason 1
SB: Fitzer, Kevin 1 ; Sanderson, Jarren 1
HBP: Fitzer, Kevin 1 ; Simons, Jakob 2
Game Leaders
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4
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RBI
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AB
4
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1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
6
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
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