CSUN Drops 6-4 Decision to UCSB on Senior Day

Sunday, May 19

Northridge, Calif.

1:00 p.m.

California State University at Northridge

29-22, 15-12

#22 UC Santa Barbara

39-12, 23-4

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
UC Santa Barbara	0	0	0	1	1	1	0	3	0	6	10	1
CSUN	0	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	7	0

Photo by: Connor Clark

CSUN Drops 6-4 Decision to UCSB on Senior Day

5/19/2024 4:38:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball fell to No. 22 UC Santa Barbara 6-4 on Senior Day on Sunday afternoon at Matador Field. The Matadors jumped out to a four-run lead but could not hold off the Gauchos who scored three runs to take the lead in the eighth. Senior Andrew Sojka hit a grand slam and finished with two hits in his final home game.

HOW IT HAPPENED
In a similar story to Saturday's game, CSUN would hold a lead for most of the day, but the Gauchos stormed in front in the late innings.

The Matadors broke through first in the top of the third with a key two-out hit. Kamau Neighbors reached on a one-out bunt single before Shunsuke Sakaino followed with a single through the left side. After a two-out infield hit from Kevin Fitzer to load the bases, Andrew Sojka belted a 2-2 pitch over the right-field wall for a grand slam and a 4-0 lead.

Thomas Bainton held UCSB to a hit through the first three innings, but Aaron Parker got the Gauchos on the scoreboard in the fourth with a leadoff homer.

UCSB would continue to chip away at the lead in the fifth with Jessada Brown coming through with a two-out RBI single to plate Ivan Brethowr.

An inning later, the Gauchos made it a one run game when reliever Justin Vose threw a wild pitch with runners at second and third base, scoring a run. Vose though fanned Brethowr to keep it a 4-3 game.

In the seventh, Vose worked his way through a leadoff walk to take the 4-3 lead to the eighth. However, as they did yesterday, the Gauchos erased the Matador lead in the eighth inning.

Three consecutive singles with one out produced the tying run with Justin Trimble coming away with an RBI single past a diving Sakaino. Joshua Romero came out of the bullpen to attempt to stop the rally, but UCSB picked up a walk then an RBI infield single from Zander Darby to go ahead. Brown drew another walk moments later to put UCSB ahead 6-4.

Sakaino had a leadoff double in the bottom of the eighth, but UCSB's closer Matt Ager retired the next six batters to nail down the save.

NOTES OF THE GAME

CSUN falls to 29-22 overall and 15-12 in Big West play while UCSB improves to 39-12 and 23-4 in conference.
The Matadors honored their 10-member senior class before the game, which included Nathan Barraza, Hayden Cody, Kevin Fitzer, Ben Griffin, Mason Le, Jakob Simons, Ryan Wentz, Neighbors, Romero, Sojka.
In their last home game at Matador Field, Neighbors and Fitzer both went 1-for-4 with a run scored while Griffin went 1-for-3.
Romero also made his final appearance at Matador Field, tossing 1.2 innings with no runs allowed and two strikeouts.
Thomas Bainton finished with 5.1 innings of work and three runs allowed on five hits.

ACCORDING TO COACH EDDIE CORNEJO
"We got a big hit offensively, and at some point in the game we continued to do what we've been doing and playing not to lose instead of playing to win. Until we change that we're going to continue to have the same outcomes. I take full responsibility with how we've been playing. I haven't been able to move the group in the right direction and that is my responsibility.

"The goal next week is simply play to win and not to play to not lose. If we do that, we'll have a chance."

UP NEXT
CSUN closes the season next week with its final series at UC Irvine. The three-game set opens on Thursday at 6 p.m.

#GoMatadors