Sunday, March 23
Bakersfield, Calif.
1:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
5-15, 2-7
10
at
9
Cal State Bakersfield
8-18, 3-3
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7
8
9
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H
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CSUN
3
0
0
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0
0
1
0
5
10
15
1
CSU Bakersfield
0
0
0
0
2
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9
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1
CSUN Takes Series at Bakersfield Behind Wild 10-9 Comeback Win
3/23/2025 6:00:00 PM | Baseball
BAKERSFIELD, Calif.---CSUN Baseball outlasted Cal State Bakersfield for a 10-9 victory to take the weekend series on Sunday at Hardt Field. The Matadors scored five in the top of the ninth before holding off the 'Runners for the one-run win.
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Kyle Panganiban finished with three hits including a home run while Matthew Pena and Matthew Kurata homered as well and Jarren Sanderson came away with a go-ahead two-run single in the ninth.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
CSUN seemed in control for most of Sunday's contest, taking a 5-3 lead to the bottom of the eighth. However, the next inning plus would be wild back-and-forth frames.
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In that eighth inning, Bakersfield took its first lead of the day as the first two batters reached to start, bringing Evan Cloyd to the plate where he hammered a go-ahead three-run homer to center. A fourth run later came into score on a Cody Hendricks safety squeeze as CSUN suddenly trailed 7-5.
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The Matadors though had an answer in the top of the ninth. Roberto Gonzalez would pinch hit to start and lace a triple down the right-field line. Andrew Gauna, another pinch-hitter, followed with an RBI single to cut the lead to 7-6. Two batters later, Will Linberg singled and Panganiban drew a big walk to load the bases for Andrew Becker.
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Needing a clutch hit, CSUN got one from Becker who singled to center to bring in the tying run. A throw out at the plate kept the game tied on the Becker single, but Jarren Sanderson followed with a timely two-run single to left field, putting the Matadors ahead once more. Angel Cortez would come off the bench and deliver a pinch-hit single of his own to center to extend the lead to 10-7.
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Trailing by three, Bakersfield would not go away quietly in the bottom of the ninth. The first three batters would reach before Gabriel Hernandez struck out Noah Alvarez. A bases loaded walk though forced in a run as CSUN went to the bullpen thereafter. Tyler Mejia entered out of the 'pen, but a run soon scored on a passed ball, making it 10-9. Mejia struck out the next batter before hitting Brock Perreira, loading the bases once more.
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With the game on the line, Mejia would get Michael Pollard to bounce into a game-ending fielder's choice, securing the CSUN series victory.
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Before the fireworks late in the game, the Matadors jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first after Becker drove in Panganiban with an RBI single and Pena unloaded on a two-run homer for a 3-0 lead.
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CSUN would add another run in the top of the fourth courtesy of another long ball, this time from Kurata who hit one over the wall in left field for a 4-0 advantage.
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Freshman Max Mendes gave CSUN a strong start on Sunday, working into the fifth inning for the first time this season. Mendes allowed just two singles through the first four innings until running into trouble in the fifth.
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Bakersfield knocked out Mendes in the fifth, scoring twice before Blake Ignaciak finally ended the rally by getting the final out.
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Panganiban gave the Matadors a bit of breathing room in the top of the seventh, belting his second homer of the season for a 5-2 lead.
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The Matador bullpen would work themselves into jams in the sixth and seventh innings but only allow a run over that span. CSUB left the bases loaded in the sixth while just one scored in the seventh despite two walks and a single as Noah Rinehart picked up the final two outs of the frame. Colton Boardman made a timely grab deep in the right field corner in foul territory to end the seventh.
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NOTES OF THE GAME
ACCORDING TO COACH EDDIE CORNEJO
"We showed resiliency today that we haven't seen this season. So many contributed in today's game. It's good to be on the winning side, but there is still a lot of work to do."
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UP NEXT
CSUN returns home to take on Hawai'i in a three-game series. The opener is set for Friday, March 28 at 5:30 p.m.
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#GoMatadors
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Kyle Panganiban finished with three hits including a home run while Matthew Pena and Matthew Kurata homered as well and Jarren Sanderson came away with a go-ahead two-run single in the ninth.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
CSUN seemed in control for most of Sunday's contest, taking a 5-3 lead to the bottom of the eighth. However, the next inning plus would be wild back-and-forth frames.
Â
In that eighth inning, Bakersfield took its first lead of the day as the first two batters reached to start, bringing Evan Cloyd to the plate where he hammered a go-ahead three-run homer to center. A fourth run later came into score on a Cody Hendricks safety squeeze as CSUN suddenly trailed 7-5.
Â
The Matadors though had an answer in the top of the ninth. Roberto Gonzalez would pinch hit to start and lace a triple down the right-field line. Andrew Gauna, another pinch-hitter, followed with an RBI single to cut the lead to 7-6. Two batters later, Will Linberg singled and Panganiban drew a big walk to load the bases for Andrew Becker.
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Needing a clutch hit, CSUN got one from Becker who singled to center to bring in the tying run. A throw out at the plate kept the game tied on the Becker single, but Jarren Sanderson followed with a timely two-run single to left field, putting the Matadors ahead once more. Angel Cortez would come off the bench and deliver a pinch-hit single of his own to center to extend the lead to 10-7.
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Trailing by three, Bakersfield would not go away quietly in the bottom of the ninth. The first three batters would reach before Gabriel Hernandez struck out Noah Alvarez. A bases loaded walk though forced in a run as CSUN went to the bullpen thereafter. Tyler Mejia entered out of the 'pen, but a run soon scored on a passed ball, making it 10-9. Mejia struck out the next batter before hitting Brock Perreira, loading the bases once more.
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With the game on the line, Mejia would get Michael Pollard to bounce into a game-ending fielder's choice, securing the CSUN series victory.
Â
Before the fireworks late in the game, the Matadors jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first after Becker drove in Panganiban with an RBI single and Pena unloaded on a two-run homer for a 3-0 lead.
Â
CSUN would add another run in the top of the fourth courtesy of another long ball, this time from Kurata who hit one over the wall in left field for a 4-0 advantage.
Â
Freshman Max Mendes gave CSUN a strong start on Sunday, working into the fifth inning for the first time this season. Mendes allowed just two singles through the first four innings until running into trouble in the fifth.
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Bakersfield knocked out Mendes in the fifth, scoring twice before Blake Ignaciak finally ended the rally by getting the final out.
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Panganiban gave the Matadors a bit of breathing room in the top of the seventh, belting his second homer of the season for a 5-2 lead.
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The Matador bullpen would work themselves into jams in the sixth and seventh innings but only allow a run over that span. CSUB left the bases loaded in the sixth while just one scored in the seventh despite two walks and a single as Noah Rinehart picked up the final two outs of the frame. Colton Boardman made a timely grab deep in the right field corner in foul territory to end the seventh.
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NOTES OF THE GAME
- CSUN improves to 5-15 overall and 2-7 in Big West play while Cal State Bakersfield falls to 8-18 overall and 3-3 in conference.
- Becker finished with two hits, two runs scored and two RBI while Pena had two hits to go with his two RBI.
- With his two hits, Becker has now posted seven multi-hit games.
- CSUN would get three pinch-hit base hits in the five-run top of the ninth.
- Mendes tossed 4.2 innings, allowing two runs on three hits for the no decision.
- Dante Zamudio was credited with the win after getting the final two outs of the eighth.
- Mejia earned his first save of the year, retiring the final two batters of the game.
ACCORDING TO COACH EDDIE CORNEJO
"We showed resiliency today that we haven't seen this season. So many contributed in today's game. It's good to be on the winning side, but there is still a lot of work to do."
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UP NEXT
CSUN returns home to take on Hawai'i in a three-game series. The opener is set for Friday, March 28 at 5:30 p.m.
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#GoMatadors
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Zamudio, Dante (1-0)
L: Riley, Michael (2-2)
S: Mejia, Tyler (1)
Batting:
2B: Panganiban, Kyle 1 ; Pena, Matthew 1 ; Cortez, Angel 1 ; Abel, Trent 1
3B: Gonzalez, Roberto 1
HR: Panganiban, Kyle 1 ; Pena, Matthew 1 ; Kurata, Matthew 1
RBI: Panganiban, Kyle 1 ; Becker, Andrew 2 ; Sanderson, Jarren 2 ; Pena, Matthew 2 ; Cortez, Angel 1 ; Kurata, Matthew 1 ; Gauna, Andrew 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Panganiban, Kyle 3 ; Becker, Andrew 2 ; Sanderson, Jarren 1 ; Pena, Matthew 1 ; Kurata, Matthew 1 ; Gonzalez, Roberto 1 ; Gauna, Andrew 1
SB: Becker, Andrew 1
PO: Boardman, Colton 1
Batting:
2B: Mascaro, Nick 1 ; Pelayo, Elijah 1
HR: Cloyd, Evan 1
RBI: Cloyd, Evan 4 ; Mascaro, Nick 1 ; Perreira, Brock 1 ; Hendriks, Cody 1 ; Ruch, Ryan 1
SH: Perreira, Brock 1 ; Hendriks, Cody 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Alvarez, Noah 2 ; Cloyd, Evan 2 ; Mascaro, Nick 2 ; Pelayo, Elijah 1 ; Zulaica, Louis 1 ; Leroy, Tyler 1
SB: Pelayo, Elijah 1
HBP: Alvarez, Noah 1 ; Cloyd, Evan 1 ; Perreira, Brock 1 ; Pelayo, Elijah 2 ; Leroy, Tyler 2
Game Leaders
Hitting
3b/2b
AB
4
R
3
H
3
RBI
1
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
rf/1b
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
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