California State University at Northridge
21-14, 0
Cal State Fullerton
13-22, 0
CSUN Scores Four in the Seventh to Rally Past Fullerton, 9-6
4/19/2024 9:59:00 PM | Baseball
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Titans would jump on the Matadors in the early going beginning in the first inning when Maddox Latta hit a first inning solo homer. Fullerton added two runs in the bottom of the second behind two hits to stake to a 3-0 lead through two innings.
CSUN though sent nine batters to the plate in the third inning to quickly erase the deficit. After a Shunsuke Sakaino double and a Kamau Neighbors infield single began the frame, Will Linberg bounced into a fielder's choice to drive in a run. Simons and Sanderson followed with back-to-back doubles into the left-center gap to even the game at 3-3. Mason Le later capped the inning by driving in the go-ahead run via a fielder's choice.
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And we're tied!
— CSUN Baseball (@CSUNBaseball) April 20, 2024
Jarren Sanderson hammers an RBI double to tie it up at 3-3. #GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/AL4OLXayCH
An inning later, Simons extended the lead to 5-3 on a sacrifice fly, driving in Sakaino from third.
CSUN starter Thomas Bainton protected the lead over the third and fourth innings, but the Titans reclaimed the lead in the fifth. Bainton began the inning with a strikeout, but the next four batters reached safely with Alijah Ramos driving in a run on a bunt single. Kenji Pallares entered the fray with the bases loaded and still one out, but the Titans picked up a Colby Wallace bases loaded walk and a Jakob Schardt RBI single to take a 6-5 lead. Pallares though rallied to retire the next two batters, leaving the bases loaded.
The Matadors stranded two base runners in the sixth but bounced back with a huge seventh inning where 10 batters came to the plate. The first three hitters reached base to start, bringing Sojka to the plate. Sojka battled to a 1-2 count before hitting a two-run single up the middle to give the Matadors the lead once more. Sakaino then reached on a bunt single before Mason Le scored on a wild pitch. Sanderson later drew a bases loaded walk with two outs to extend the lead to 9-6.
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Andrew Sojka delivers!
— CSUN Baseball (@CSUNBaseball) April 20, 2024
Pinch-hit 2-run single gives us the lead again#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/IX8s59ryHq
CSUN's bullpen would be strong in the late innings in protecting the lead. Hayden Hall took over on the mound in the sixth and pitched around a leadoff hit in a scoreless frame. The Titans picked up a leadoff hit in the seventh, but Hall retired the next three batters before sitting down the side in order in the bottom of the eighth.
In the ninth, Joshua Romero yielded a leadoff double before retiring the next three in a row for the save.
NOTES OF THE GAME
- CSUN improves to 21-14 overall and 9-4 in Big West play while Cal State Fullerton slips to 13-22 overall and 5-11 in conference.
- The Matadors finished with 15 hits with five producing multi-hit games.
- Nine CSUN batters had at least one hit in the game while eight scored at least once.
- Neighbors extended his on-base streak to 17 games and his hit streak to 16 after a 2-for-5 day.
- Hall allowed two hits in three shutout innings as he was credited with the win.
- Romero nailed down his fifth save of the season with a shutout ninth.
UP NEXT
CSUN continues its series with Cal State Fullerton on Saturday at 5 p.m. on ESPN+.
#GoMatadors
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hall, Hayden (4-1)
L: Krakoski, Jason (2-1)
S: Romero, Joshua (5)
Batting:
2B: Simons, Jakob 1 ; Sanderson, Jarren 1 ; Gauna, Andrew 1 ; Sakaino, Shunsuke 1
3B: Neighbors, Kamau 1
RBI: Linberg, Will 1 ; Simons, Jakob 2 ; Sanderson, Jarren 2 ; Le, Mason 1 ; Sojka, Andrew 2
SH: Neighbors, Kamau 1
SF: Simons, Jakob 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Linberg, Will 1 ; Simons, Jakob 1 ; Sanderson, Jarren 1 ; Griffin, Ben 1 ; Gauna, Andrew 1 ; Le, Mason 1 ; Sojka, Andrew 1 ; Sakaino, Shunsuke 2
SB: Sanderson, Jarren 1 ; Le, Mason 1
CS: Linberg, Will 1 ; Sojka, Andrew 1
HBP: Gauna, Andrew 1
Batting:
2B: Regino, Nico 2
HR: Latta, Maddox 1
RBI: Latta, Maddox 2 ; Ramos, Alijah 1 ; Wallace, Colby 1 ; Schardt, Jakob 1 ; Perez, Waldie 1
SH: Ramos, Alijah 1 ; Perez, Waldie 1
SF: Latta, Maddox 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Latta, Maddox 1 ; Regino, Nico 1 ; Ortega, Max 1 ; Bardowell, Matthew 1 ; Wallace, Colby 1 ; Schardt, Jakob 1
SB: Latta, Maddox 1
CS: Latta, Maddox 1
HBP: Perez, Waldie 1
