Friday, March 18
San Luis Obispo, Calif.
6:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
10-7, 0-1
4
at
6
Cal Poly
8-9, 1-0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
CSUN
0
0
0
4
0
0
0
0
0
4
4
2
Cal Poly
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
5
X
6
9
1
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Button, Zach (1-0)
L: Schriever, Blake (0-2)
S: Franks, Jason (1)
Batting:
HR: Gonzalez, Gabe 1
RBI: Gonzalez, Gabe 4
Base Running:
RUNS: Simons, Jakob 1 ; Moody, Kai 1 ; Sojka, Andrew 1 ; Gonzalez, Gabe 1
CS: Gonzalez, Gabe 1
HBP: Le, Mason 1
Batting:
2B: Lee, Brooks 2 ; Villegas, Collin 1
RBI: Samuelson, Tate 1 ; Haas, Matthias 1 ; Lagattuta, John 1 ; Villegas, Collin 2
SF: Samuelson, Tate 1 ; Lagattuta, John 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Stafford, Ryan 1 ; Lee, Brooks 2 ; Samuelson, Tate 1 ; Haas, Matthias 1 ; Lopez, Matt 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
4
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballC
/ Baseball
Photo by: Braden Villanueva
Five-Run Eighth Lifts Cal Poly Over CSUN
3/18/2022 9:10:00 PM | Baseball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.---CSUN Baseball (10-7, 0-1 Big West) could not hold on to a three-run lead in the eighth inning as Cal Poly (8-9, 1-0 Big West) rallied for a 6-4 win in the Big West opener on Friday at Baggett Stadium. Blake Sodersten tossed seven quality innings, allowing three runs on six hits to go with seven strikeouts. Gabe Gonzalez belted a grand slam for the Matadors.
It would be a pitcher's duel in the early innings of Friday's game. Sodersten retired 10 of the first 12 batters he faced in the game while Cal Poly's Drew Thorpe faced the minimum through the first three innings.
The Matadors though struck first in the fourth inning against Thorpe. Jakob Simons reached to start the inning on an error by first baseman Joe Yorke. Two batters later, Kai Moody singled up the middle before Andrew Sojka reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Gonzalez stepped to the plate next and hammered a 1-2 pitch over the left field wall for a grand slam to put CSUN on top 4-0.
Sodersten pitched around singles in the fourth and fifth innings but the Mustangs finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth. Brooks Lee doubled to kick off the frame before scoring later in the frame on a sacrifice fly from Tate Samuelson. Matthias Hass kept the inning alive with a single but Sodersten retired Matt Lopez for the third out.
Sodersten would bounce back with perhaps his best inning of the game in the seventh. The right-hander struck out the side, all of which on swinging third strikes to help the Matadors stay in front 4-1.
CSUN had an opportunity to pick up insurance runs in the top of the eighth when Mason Le was hit by a pitch and Graysen Tarlow singled. The Matadors had runners at first and third in the inning with two outs but were turned away by Zach Button who retired Moody.
Sodersten returned to the mound in the eighth looking to protect a three-run lead, however, the Mustangs had other ideas. After serving up his first walk of the game to Ryan Stafford, Sodersten surrendered a single to Lee. On the play, a fielding error in right field allowed Stafford to come all the way around to score. Xavier Martinez was summoned from the bullpen and would retire the first batter he faced, but Samuelson singled to put runners at the corners.
CSUN made another pitching change, bringing in Blake Schriever, but the next two Mustangs reached base before Jon Lagatitta tied the game with a sacrifice fly. Moments later, Collin Villegas delivered the big blow, a two-run double that drove in the go-ahead runs for a 6-4 Cal Poly lead.
The Matadors would be retired in order in the top of the ninth by Jason Franks who earned the save.
GAME NOTES
Gonzalez drew two walks and reached base three times overall in the game. He has now homered a team-high five times this season.
Cal Poly pitching limited the Matadors to two hits over the last five innings. Button earned the win for the Mustangs with a shutout inning of work.
ACCORDING TO COACH DAVE SERRANO
"For a team that I grow fonder of each day, we sure have had some tough losses together. As I told the team, I feel for their pain with how we let that game slip away from us. Blake Sodersten stepped up and pitched like an all-conference guy today. He just ran out of gas in the eighth. Also, give credit to our offense for setting the table for Gabe Gonzalez, who had the big grand slam to give us the lead.
You have to give Cal Poly credit for putting some good at-bats together in that inning to put a five spot on the board. Our guys made some good pitches during the eighth inning, they just fought some pitches off and found green in the outfield. Then they got the big hit to clear the bases. I keep reminding this team that winning is hard and it takes a lot of small acts on many people's part, especially on a Friday night in this league. It's a long conference season and that's only one game. We will work hard to make tomorrow a better day."
UP NEXT
CSUN and Cal Poly continue their weekend series on Saturday at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
#UniteTheValley
Â
It would be a pitcher's duel in the early innings of Friday's game. Sodersten retired 10 of the first 12 batters he faced in the game while Cal Poly's Drew Thorpe faced the minimum through the first three innings.
The Matadors though struck first in the fourth inning against Thorpe. Jakob Simons reached to start the inning on an error by first baseman Joe Yorke. Two batters later, Kai Moody singled up the middle before Andrew Sojka reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Gonzalez stepped to the plate next and hammered a 1-2 pitch over the left field wall for a grand slam to put CSUN on top 4-0.
Sodersten pitched around singles in the fourth and fifth innings but the Mustangs finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth. Brooks Lee doubled to kick off the frame before scoring later in the frame on a sacrifice fly from Tate Samuelson. Matthias Hass kept the inning alive with a single but Sodersten retired Matt Lopez for the third out.
Sodersten would bounce back with perhaps his best inning of the game in the seventh. The right-hander struck out the side, all of which on swinging third strikes to help the Matadors stay in front 4-1.
CSUN had an opportunity to pick up insurance runs in the top of the eighth when Mason Le was hit by a pitch and Graysen Tarlow singled. The Matadors had runners at first and third in the inning with two outs but were turned away by Zach Button who retired Moody.
Sodersten returned to the mound in the eighth looking to protect a three-run lead, however, the Mustangs had other ideas. After serving up his first walk of the game to Ryan Stafford, Sodersten surrendered a single to Lee. On the play, a fielding error in right field allowed Stafford to come all the way around to score. Xavier Martinez was summoned from the bullpen and would retire the first batter he faced, but Samuelson singled to put runners at the corners.
CSUN made another pitching change, bringing in Blake Schriever, but the next two Mustangs reached base before Jon Lagatitta tied the game with a sacrifice fly. Moments later, Collin Villegas delivered the big blow, a two-run double that drove in the go-ahead runs for a 6-4 Cal Poly lead.
The Matadors would be retired in order in the top of the ninth by Jason Franks who earned the save.
GAME NOTES
Gonzalez drew two walks and reached base three times overall in the game. He has now homered a team-high five times this season.
Cal Poly pitching limited the Matadors to two hits over the last five innings. Button earned the win for the Mustangs with a shutout inning of work.
ACCORDING TO COACH DAVE SERRANO
"For a team that I grow fonder of each day, we sure have had some tough losses together. As I told the team, I feel for their pain with how we let that game slip away from us. Blake Sodersten stepped up and pitched like an all-conference guy today. He just ran out of gas in the eighth. Also, give credit to our offense for setting the table for Gabe Gonzalez, who had the big grand slam to give us the lead.
You have to give Cal Poly credit for putting some good at-bats together in that inning to put a five spot on the board. Our guys made some good pitches during the eighth inning, they just fought some pitches off and found green in the outfield. Then they got the big hit to clear the bases. I keep reminding this team that winning is hard and it takes a lot of small acts on many people's part, especially on a Friday night in this league. It's a long conference season and that's only one game. We will work hard to make tomorrow a better day."
UP NEXT
CSUN and Cal Poly continue their weekend series on Saturday at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
#UniteTheValley
Â
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