Friday, March 21
Bakersfield, Calif.
6:30 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
3-15, 0
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Cal State Bakersfield
8-16, 0
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CSUN
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CSU Bakersfield
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Photo by: Chuck Marvel
Four-Run Eighth the Difference in CSUN's 11-7 Defeat at Bakersfield
3/21/2025 9:51:00 PM | Baseball
BAKERSFIELD, Calif.---CSUN Baseball dropped its series opener at Cal State Bakersfield 11-7 on Friday night at Hardt Field. The Matadors held two different leads in the game, but the 'Runners scored six unanswered including four in the eighth to pick up the win. Jarren Sanderson homered for the second straight game, finishing with two hits and two RBI.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The teams would trade leads in a wild series opener on Friday. Bakersfield jumped out in front in the bottom of the first inning when Evan Cloyd hit a two-run home run. CSUN though responded quickly in the top of the second as a Kyle Panganiban double and a Matthew Kurata walk set the table for the scoring chance. After a throwing error on a Colton Boardman flyout produced a run, Sanderson followed with a towering two-run homer to left for a 3-2 lead.
However, that lead was short-lived too. Tyler Leroy evened the game with an RBI single in the bottom of the second, plating Elijah Pelayo who tripled earlier in the frame. Ryan Halamicek, CSUN's starter on the mound, limited the damage by retiring the next two batters to end the second inning, but CSUB went ahead on a squeeze bunt.
Much like Bakersfield, CSUN had a quick response in the third inning. A Will Linberg walk with one out brought up Andrew Becker who stroked a triple to left center to even the game at 4-4. The Matadors scored for the third consecutive inning in the top of the fourth, capitalizing on bunt singles from Kurata and Boardman. After Sanderson reached on an infield single to load the bases, Roberto Gonzalez put CSUN ahead 6-4 on a two-run single to right field.
The seesaw game continued in the bottom of the fourth when Elgin Bennett smacked a leadoff solo homer off Halamicek to make it a 6-5 game. To his credit, Halamicek bounced back quickly, striking out the next three batters. CSUB nearly tied the game in the bottom of the fifth, but a heads up play on a throwing error led to Halamicek tagging out Nick Mascaro who attempted to score from first base.
The Matadors picked up an insurance run in the sixth on a two-out RBI single from Linberg, but the 'Runners would answer back in the home half. A walk and two singles produced a run for Bakersfield before Noah Alvarez evened the game up at 7-7 on a sacrifice fly. Logan Miller came out of the bullpen to limit the damage, picking off Tyrese Johnon at second base to end the threat.
Miller would be one of the bright spots out of the CSUN bullpen on the night, tossing 1.2 shutout innings to go with three strikeouts.
The game remained tied until the bottom of the eighth when the home bats came alive. After the first batter was retired by Miller, four consecutive Bakersfield hits opened up a three-run lead. The inning would be closed with a steal of home by Leroy after a strikeout, putting CSUN in an 11-7 hole. Bakersfield closed the door in the top of the ninth with three of four Matador batters retired to end the game.
NOTES OF THE GAME
CSUN looks to even its weekend series with Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
#GoMatadors
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HOW IT HAPPENED
The teams would trade leads in a wild series opener on Friday. Bakersfield jumped out in front in the bottom of the first inning when Evan Cloyd hit a two-run home run. CSUN though responded quickly in the top of the second as a Kyle Panganiban double and a Matthew Kurata walk set the table for the scoring chance. After a throwing error on a Colton Boardman flyout produced a run, Sanderson followed with a towering two-run homer to left for a 3-2 lead.
However, that lead was short-lived too. Tyler Leroy evened the game with an RBI single in the bottom of the second, plating Elijah Pelayo who tripled earlier in the frame. Ryan Halamicek, CSUN's starter on the mound, limited the damage by retiring the next two batters to end the second inning, but CSUB went ahead on a squeeze bunt.
Much like Bakersfield, CSUN had a quick response in the third inning. A Will Linberg walk with one out brought up Andrew Becker who stroked a triple to left center to even the game at 4-4. The Matadors scored for the third consecutive inning in the top of the fourth, capitalizing on bunt singles from Kurata and Boardman. After Sanderson reached on an infield single to load the bases, Roberto Gonzalez put CSUN ahead 6-4 on a two-run single to right field.
The seesaw game continued in the bottom of the fourth when Elgin Bennett smacked a leadoff solo homer off Halamicek to make it a 6-5 game. To his credit, Halamicek bounced back quickly, striking out the next three batters. CSUB nearly tied the game in the bottom of the fifth, but a heads up play on a throwing error led to Halamicek tagging out Nick Mascaro who attempted to score from first base.
The Matadors picked up an insurance run in the sixth on a two-out RBI single from Linberg, but the 'Runners would answer back in the home half. A walk and two singles produced a run for Bakersfield before Noah Alvarez evened the game up at 7-7 on a sacrifice fly. Logan Miller came out of the bullpen to limit the damage, picking off Tyrese Johnon at second base to end the threat.
Miller would be one of the bright spots out of the CSUN bullpen on the night, tossing 1.2 shutout innings to go with three strikeouts.
The game remained tied until the bottom of the eighth when the home bats came alive. After the first batter was retired by Miller, four consecutive Bakersfield hits opened up a three-run lead. The inning would be closed with a steal of home by Leroy after a strikeout, putting CSUN in an 11-7 hole. Bakersfield closed the door in the top of the ninth with three of four Matador batters retired to end the game.
NOTES OF THE GAME
- CSUN drops to 3-15 overall and 0-7 in conference while Bakersfield improves to 8-16 overall and 3-1 in Big West play.
- Gonzalez has now reached base safely in 17 straight games.
- Becker registered his team-best sixth multi-game of the season.
- Kurata scored two runs, finishing with a hit and a walk in his first game against his former team in Cal State Bakersfield.
- Halamicek tossed 5.1 innings, allowing six runs to go with six strikeouts.
- Six Matador pitchers saw action out of the bullpen. Kody King, Gabriel Hernandez and Jason Davis each recorded one out apiece.
CSUN looks to even its weekend series with Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
#GoMatadors
Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Leary, Jack (2-3)
L: Hall, Hayden (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Panganiban, Kyle 1
3B: Becker, Andrew 1
HR: Sanderson, Jarren 1
RBI: Gonzalez, Roberto 2 ; Linberg, Will 1 ; Becker, Andrew 1 ; Sanderson, Jarren 2
SH: Fairchild, Elijah 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Linberg, Will 1 ; Panganiban, Kyle 1 ; Kurata, Matthew 2 ; Boardman, Colton 1 ; Sanderson, Jarren 2
SB: Linberg, Will 1
HBP: Kurata, Matthew 1
Batting:
2B: Alvarez, Noah 1 ; Mascaro, Nick 1 ; Zulaica, Louis 1
3B: Pelayo, Elijah 1
HR: Cloyd, Evan 1 ; Bennett, Elgin 1
RBI: Alvarez, Noah 2 ; Cloyd, Evan 2 ; Mascaro, Nick 1 ; Bennett, Elgin 1 ; Barnum V, Lewis 1 ; Zulaica, Louis 1 ; Leroy, Tyler 2
SH: Alvarez, Noah 1
SF: Alvarez, Noah 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Alvarez, Noah 2 ; Cloyd, Evan 1 ; Hendriks, Cody 1 ; Bennett, Elgin 1 ; Pelayo, Elijah 3 ; Barnum V, Lewis 1 ; Zulaica, Louis 1 ; Leroy, Tyler 1
SB: Leroy, Tyler 1
HBP: Perreira, Brock 1 ; Barnum V, Lewis 1
PO: Johnson, Tyrese 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
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