California State University at Northridge
10-28, 6-15
Long Beach State
16-24, 10-14
CSUN Wins Wild 13-12 Finale at Long Beach State to Clinch Series
4/27/2025 6:06:00 PM | Baseball
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The back-and-forth series finale featured 33 hits, 25 runs, 10 total pitchers on the mound and over 450 pitches thrown.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
CSUN would take a 12-9 lead to the bottom of the ninth where Long Beach State rallied for three runs as Nathan Cadena hit a game-tying three-run homer. The Dirtbags put two more runners on base, but Rinehart came out of bullpen to get the final out to send the game to extras.
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Both sides would strand a runner on base in the 10th, but the Matadors broke the tie in the top of 11th with clutch two-out hitting. Gonzalez roped a double to right field to get the rally started with two outs before Panganiban put CSUN ahead 13-12 on a bloop hit to left center.
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ÂIn the lead again!
— CSUN Baseball (@CSUNBaseball) April 28, 2025
Kyle Panganiban delivers a two-out bloop single to left center and CSUN has a 13-12 lead in the 11th. #GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/sstzvKjAHa
In the home half of the 11th, Rinehart returned to the mound and picked up two strikeouts in the inning. Long Beach State would get a runner aboard, but Rinehart forced Jake Evans to fly out to the end the game. Â
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Before the late-game fireworks, CSUN got off to a quick start in the top of the first with Roberto Gonzalez leading off with a single before Kyle Panganiban was hit by a pitch. Andrew Becker followed with an RBI single through the right side to open the scoring.
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The first lead change of the game occurred quickly in the bottom of the first. The Dirtbags evened the game on a Nathan Cadena solo home run with one out before later taking a 2-1 lead on a Connor Charpiot RBI single.
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Long Beach State picked up another run in the second inning, capitalizing on a Matador error to take a 3-1 lead, but CSUN answered with a two-run homer from Andrew Gauna in the third.
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The back-and-forth game continued in the bottom of the third where the Dirtbags regained the lead on a two-run blast from Matt Toomey. Long Beach State went on to plate three more runs, highlighted by a two-run single from Alex Champagne to go ahead 8-3.
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CSUN would answer with a three-spot in the fourth inning. Capitalizing on a hit by pitch to start, Trent Abel picked up a single and Xavier Rios drew a walk to load the bases with one out. From there, Gonzalez legged out an infield single to drive in a run while Panganiban doubled in two more to pull CSUN to within 8-6.
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Needing a spark from the bullpen, Dante Zamudio took over on the mound in the fifth inning and went to work shutting down the Dirtbags' offense. The right hander stranded a pair of runners in the fifth inning and retired the side in order in the sixth.
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Meanwhile, CSUN broke out with another big inning in the top of the sixth. Back-to-back singles from Gonzalez and Panganiban followed by a fielding error loaded the bases with one out. Gauna drove in a run the hard way with a hit by pitch, cutting the lead to 8-7. After a CSUN out, Will Linberg came through with a clutch bases-clearing double with two outs to give CSUN a 10-8 advantage.
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ÂCLUTCH!!!
— CSUN Baseball (@CSUNBaseball) April 27, 2025
Will Linberg clears the bases with a three-run double and CSUN has stormed back to take a 10-8 lead!#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/6pXAQnuH3r
The Dirtbags got a run back in the bottom of the seventh, but CSUN answered with a single tally in the eighth, courtesy of a squeeze bunt from Cameron Calvillo to drive in Gauna who tripled in the frame. The Matadors would extend to a 12-9 lead on an RBI triple from Gonzalez in the ninth, setting the stage for the bottom of the ninth.
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NOTES OF THE GAME
- CSUN improves to 10-28 overall and 6-15 in Big West play while Long Beach State drops to 16-24 overall and 10-14 in conference.
- Panganiban finished 3-for-6 with three RBI while Trent Abel was 3-for-6 with a run scored.
- Gonzalez's five hits are the most by a Matador in a game since Jakob Simons in 2023.
- Gauna has homered a team-high seven times this year while he had two hits.
- Becker and Linberg had two hit games as well.
- Rinehart earned his second win of the season with one hit allowed in 2.1 innings to go with three strikeouts.
- Zamudio worked 4.2 innings, striking out five batters with four runs allowed.
- CSUN has now won series against Long Beach State in four straight seasons.
CSUN returns home for a midweek game with USC on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
#GoMatadors
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Rinehart, Noah (2-2)
L: Roblez, Albert (3-2)
Batting:
2B: Gonzalez, Roberto 1 ; Panganiban, Kyle 1 ; Linberg, Will 1 ; Pena, Matthew 1
3B: Gonzalez, Roberto 1 ; Gauna, Andrew 1
HR: Gauna, Andrew 1
RBI: Gonzalez, Roberto 2 ; Panganiban, Kyle 3 ; Becker, Andrew 1 ; Gauna, Andrew 3 ; Calvillo, Cameron 1 ; Linberg, Will 3
SH: Calvillo, Cameron 1 ; Liera, Jesus 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gonzalez, Roberto 3 ; Panganiban, Kyle 1 ; Becker, Andrew 2 ; Gauna, Andrew 3 ; Linberg, Will 1 ; Abel, Trent 1 ; Pena, Matthew 1 ; Rios, Xavier 1
SB: Gonzalez, Roberto 1 ; Panganiban, Kyle 2 ; Fairchild, Elijah 1 ; Linberg, Will 1
HBP: Panganiban, Kyle 1 ; Gauna, Andrew 1 ; Linberg, Will 1
Batting:
2B: Ashworth, Kyle 1 ; Toomey, Matt 1
HR: Cadena, Nathan 2 ; Toomey, Matt 1
RBI: Ashworth, Kyle 1 ; Cadena, Nathan 5 ; Champagne, Alex 2 ; Charpiot, Connor 1 ; Toomey, Matt 2
SH: Stewart, Conner 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ashworth, Kyle 2 ; Cadena, Nathan 2 ; Champagne, Alex 1 ; Charpiot, Connor 1 ; Toomey, Matt 1 ; Elliot, Easton 1 ; Enright, Trotter 2 ; Stewart, Conner 1 ; Montgomery, Reid 1
SB: Ashworth, Kyle 1 ; Cadena, Nathan 2 ; Champagne, Alex 1 ; Charpiot, Connor 1 ; Elliot, Easton 1 ; Enright, Trotter 1
CS: Charpiot, Connor 1 ; Elliot, Easton 1
HBP: Cadena, Nathan 1 ; Champagne, Alex 1 ; Toomey, Matt 1
