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
The back-and-forth series finale featured 33 hits, 25 runs, 10 total pitchers on the mound and over 450 pitches thrown.
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.
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.
In 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
CLUTCH!!!
— 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.
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
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
