Matadors drop first game of doubleheader against UC Riverside
CSUN Matadors dugout during the first game of a doubleheader against the UC Riverside Highlanders at Matador Field in Northridge, Calif., on Saturday, April 17, 2021. The Matadors lost both games 5-1 and 8-4.
April 20, 2021
In what felt like it was going to be a pitcher’s duel, CSUN’s game against UC Riverside quickly turned into a one-sided victory in favor of the Highlanders. CSUN dropped to 6-12 on the season after losing the first game of Saturday’s double-header 5-1.
Redshirt senior outfielder Robert Bullard kicked off the scoring for the Matadors with a deep one-run double off the left field fence to score, putting the Matadors ahead 1-0.
CSUN’s sophomore pitcher Gavin Lizik started the game pitching three innings of shutout baseball before Riverside got on the board due to some poor fielding. During the top of the fourth inning, Lizik hit Riverside’s Travis Bohall and Ely Stuart, which placed them both on the base. After a stolen base and a failed pickoff attempt, Riverside was in scoring position.
Following a fielding error by sophomore third basemen Mason Le, Bohall sprinted home and put the Highlanders on the board. Shortly after, there was another wild pitch from Lizik which allowed Stuart to score. UC Riverside took the lead 2-1 and never relinquished it.
Lizik was knocked from the game when Riverside scored three runs during the top of the sixth inning. The big run came from Riverside’s third baseman, Nathan Webb. Webb launched a ball over the left-field fence scoring right fielder Dylan Orick, who knocked in left fielder Jacob Shanks with an RBI single moments earlier. At the end of the inning, Riverside held a commanding 5-1 lead.
“When we did put runs on the board, the next inning we’d go out and hit a guy or walk a guy, and those are not the ingredients to success of a team,” said CSUN head coach Dave Serrano. “The fear of failure starts to creep in. This is a difficult game and I’ve shared that with this team for a long time, this is a failure sport, but all you gotta do is keep playing hard.”
UC Riverside’s starting pitcher Tucker Juline had a fantastic day on the mound, pitching eight strong innings while only allowing a single run. Though he did surrender eight hits, Juline managed to fight his way out of trouble every time. The Highlanders closed the door on the first game of the doubleheader when Juline was replaced by redshirt sophomore Jake Lachemann.
CSUN gave it one last push during the ninth inning. Brandon Bohning worked the count to get a walk, but it wasn’t enough as Bullard struck out swinging, ending the game.
Bohning and Bullard both had great days at the plate to push their average up to .321 and .324 respectively. Senior left fielder Kai Moody collected another hit on the season to keep his average at a stunning .417 on the season.