Saturday, May 10
Northridge, Calif.
4:30 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
14-31, 9-17
11
vs
6
Cal Poly
33-16, 19-7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Cal Poly
0
0
0
1
3
1
0
0
1
6
13
2
CSUN
0
0
0
2
6
3
0
0
X
11
15
0
Photo by: Bella A Enriquez
CSUN Bounces Back to Even Series with Cal Poly
5/10/2025 9:05:00 PM | Baseball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball posted 15 hits and scored 11 times over the middle innings to collect an 11-6 win, evening the weekend series with Cal Poly on Saturday at Robert J. Hiegert Field. Senior Roberto Gonzalez finished a triple shy of the cycle as he went 4-for-5 with two doubles and a home run. Andrew Becker and Andrew Gauna had three hits apiece while Will Linberg and Matthew Pena each homered and drove in three runs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The game opened with each side trading zeroes through three innings. For CSUN, Diego Gutierrez would scatter three hits through those first three frames while he stranded a pair of runners in scoring position in the top of the third. His counterpart for Cal Poly, Josh Volmerding, allowed three hits as well in addition to tip-toeing through a scoreless third where CSUN left two base runners.
In the fourth, Cal Poly struck first on one swing of the bat when Jack Collins hit a solo homer to lead off the frame. The Matadors though had a quick response in the home half of the third as back-to-back solo homers from Gauna and Linberg put CSUN ahead 2-1.
Â
Not to be outdone, Cal Poly answered with a solo homer to start the fifth off the bat of Dante Vachini. The Mustangs later added two more when Collins drove in two runs on a one-out double to left center.
CSUN trailed 4-2 entering the bottom of the fifth when the Matador bats came alive. After a double from Gonzalez early in the inning, CSUN had five straight batters reach all with two outs. Becker evened the game at 2-2 on an RBI single up the middle. A Gauna single kept the rally going while Linberg came through with a clutch two-run double that landed just fair in the left-field corner. Abel would reach on an error at third base before Pena unloaded on a line-drive three-run homer to left, capping a six-run inning and giving CSUN an 8-4 lead.
Â
In the sixth, Gutierrez retired two of the first three batters to start the inning, but the Mustangs collected back-to-back hits to trim the lead to 8-5. The Matadors turned to their bullpen thereafter, as Ryan Halamicek entered the fray and promptly retired Alejandro Garza for the third out of the sixth.
The Matadors would answer the Cal Poly run with another multi-run inning in the bottom of the sixth. Gonzalez opened the scoring with a no doubt solo homer to right field. The Matadors though were not done as they again struck with two-out hitting. Becker began the rally with a single while Gauna was hit by a pitch. After Linberg drew a walk to load the bases, Abel rifled a single through the left side to plate two more runs and stretch the lead to 11-5.
Over the final three frames, Halamicek kept the Mustang bats at bay with solid work on the mound. The right hander retired the sides in order in the seventh and eighth innings as the lead remained 11-5 entering the ninth. The Mustangs mounted one last rally in the top of the ninth with the first two reaching on hits. A run later scored on a fielder's choice, but Halamicek retired two of the final three batters to secure the save.
NOTES OF THE GAME
ACCORDING TO COACH EDDIE CORNEJO
"Overall, these types of days are why you coach. We got embarrassed yesterday, and people make mistakes and teams don't look good, but it's always about the response and how you bounce back. I'm proud of our players the way they did. It didn't seem like the score mattered, they were just competing hard, playing hard and that's all what we've ever wanted them to do."
POST GAME COMMENTS FROM ROBERTO GONZALEZ
On his approach at the plate and his home run
"Today, I was just trying to be aggressive, find the right pitch and it worked. With the home run, my mindset was pretty relaxed. I was just trying to put the ball in play and I was looking for a fastball and he threw me a fastball. It was probably the farthest I've hit a ball for sure."
On the team's bounce back performance
"What this says is we can compete no matter the outcome of the day before. We can compete every single day. We've just to be aggressive on the mound and be aggressive hitting."
UP NEXT
CSUN hosts its final home game of the 2025 season on Sunday when it plays the rubber game of the weekend series with Cal Poly. First pitch is slated for 1:05 p.m. on ESPN+. Prior to the game, CSUN will honor its nine-member senior class in a pre-game ceremony on the field.
#GoMatadors
Â
HOW IT HAPPENED
The game opened with each side trading zeroes through three innings. For CSUN, Diego Gutierrez would scatter three hits through those first three frames while he stranded a pair of runners in scoring position in the top of the third. His counterpart for Cal Poly, Josh Volmerding, allowed three hits as well in addition to tip-toeing through a scoreless third where CSUN left two base runners.
In the fourth, Cal Poly struck first on one swing of the bat when Jack Collins hit a solo homer to lead off the frame. The Matadors though had a quick response in the home half of the third as back-to-back solo homers from Gauna and Linberg put CSUN ahead 2-1.
Â
Will the thrill!
— CSUN Baseball (@CSUNBaseball) May 11, 2025
Will Linberg goes deep for his 1st career homer as the Matadors go back-2-back today in the 4th#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/Ham7ljAnck
Not to be outdone, Cal Poly answered with a solo homer to start the fifth off the bat of Dante Vachini. The Mustangs later added two more when Collins drove in two runs on a one-out double to left center.
CSUN trailed 4-2 entering the bottom of the fifth when the Matador bats came alive. After a double from Gonzalez early in the inning, CSUN had five straight batters reach all with two outs. Becker evened the game at 2-2 on an RBI single up the middle. A Gauna single kept the rally going while Linberg came through with a clutch two-run double that landed just fair in the left-field corner. Abel would reach on an error at third base before Pena unloaded on a line-drive three-run homer to left, capping a six-run inning and giving CSUN an 8-4 lead.
Â
OPPO TACO ??
— CSUN Baseball (@CSUNBaseball) May 11, 2025
Matthew Pena with the laser over the left-center wall, a three-run shot for his 7th homer this season! #GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/tegjqudy1B
In the sixth, Gutierrez retired two of the first three batters to start the inning, but the Mustangs collected back-to-back hits to trim the lead to 8-5. The Matadors turned to their bullpen thereafter, as Ryan Halamicek entered the fray and promptly retired Alejandro Garza for the third out of the sixth.
The Matadors would answer the Cal Poly run with another multi-run inning in the bottom of the sixth. Gonzalez opened the scoring with a no doubt solo homer to right field. The Matadors though were not done as they again struck with two-out hitting. Becker began the rally with a single while Gauna was hit by a pitch. After Linberg drew a walk to load the bases, Abel rifled a single through the left side to plate two more runs and stretch the lead to 11-5.
Over the final three frames, Halamicek kept the Mustang bats at bay with solid work on the mound. The right hander retired the sides in order in the seventh and eighth innings as the lead remained 11-5 entering the ninth. The Mustangs mounted one last rally in the top of the ninth with the first two reaching on hits. A run later scored on a fielder's choice, but Halamicek retired two of the final three batters to secure the save.
NOTES OF THE GAME
- CSUN improves to 14-31 overall and 9-17 in Big West play while Cal Poly slips to 33-16 overall and 19-7 in conference.
- Gutierrez is now 3-6 on the season as he finished with 5.2 innings pitched and six strikeouts while Halamicek worked the final 3.1 innings, allowing a run for his second save.
- Linberg's home run was his first of his Matador career.
- Gonzalez stretched his on base streak to 19 games.
- Gauna pushed his hit streak to 14 games while Panganiban extended his hit streak to 13.
ACCORDING TO COACH EDDIE CORNEJO
"Overall, these types of days are why you coach. We got embarrassed yesterday, and people make mistakes and teams don't look good, but it's always about the response and how you bounce back. I'm proud of our players the way they did. It didn't seem like the score mattered, they were just competing hard, playing hard and that's all what we've ever wanted them to do."
POST GAME COMMENTS FROM ROBERTO GONZALEZ
On his approach at the plate and his home run
"Today, I was just trying to be aggressive, find the right pitch and it worked. With the home run, my mindset was pretty relaxed. I was just trying to put the ball in play and I was looking for a fastball and he threw me a fastball. It was probably the farthest I've hit a ball for sure."
On the team's bounce back performance
"What this says is we can compete no matter the outcome of the day before. We can compete every single day. We've just to be aggressive on the mound and be aggressive hitting."
UP NEXT
CSUN hosts its final home game of the 2025 season on Sunday when it plays the rubber game of the weekend series with Cal Poly. First pitch is slated for 1:05 p.m. on ESPN+. Prior to the game, CSUN will honor its nine-member senior class in a pre-game ceremony on the field.
#GoMatadors
Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Gutierrez, Diego (3-6)
L: Volmerding, Josh (5-4)
S: Halamicek, Ryan (2)
Batting:
2B: Daudet, Zach 1 ; Collins, Jack 1 ; Murray Jr., Casey 1
HR: Collins, Jack 1 ; Vachini, Dante 1
RBI: Fenn, Ryan 1 ; Garza, Alejandro 1 ; Collins, Jack 3 ; Vachini, Dante 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Daudet, Zach 1 ; Fenn, Ryan 1 ; Garza, Alejandro 1 ; Collins, Jack 1 ; Kordic, Dylan 1 ; Vachini, Dante 1
CS: Murray Jr., Casey 1
HBP: Garza, Alejandro 1 ; Murray Jr., Casey 1
Batting:
2B: Gonzalez, Roberto 2 ; Linberg, Will 1
HR: Gonzalez, Roberto 1 ; Gauna, Andrew 1 ; Linberg, Will 1 ; Pena, Matthew 1
RBI: Gonzalez, Roberto 1 ; Becker, Andrew 1 ; Gauna, Andrew 1 ; Linberg, Will 3 ; Abel, Trent 2 ; Pena, Matthew 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Gonzalez, Roberto 2 ; Becker, Andrew 2 ; Gauna, Andrew 3 ; Linberg, Will 2 ; Abel, Trent 1 ; Pena, Matthew 1
HBP: Gauna, Andrew 1 ; Rios, Xavier 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
2
H
4
RBI
1
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
AB
4
R
3
H
3
RBI
1
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
3
Players Mentioned
OF
/ BaseballOF
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball1B/OF
/ Baseball
1B/DH
/ BaseballA Conversation With Dave Serrano
Friday, May 15
Baseball HC reveal 2019
Sunday, June 23
National Student-Athlete Day 2019 - Jayson Newman
Friday, April 05
CSUN Baseball - 27 Miles
Friday, November 09