After suffering defeat in the first game of the Friday doubleheader to the Aggies 4-5, CSUN (16-11, 6-3 Big West) bounced back and defeated UC Davis (14-12, 4-5 Big West) 11-2 to clinch the series win at home.
Entering the series against the Aggies, CSUN was just a game back of first place in the Big West, and on Thursday, the Matadors took the first step in attempting to claim the top spot in the conference with a 13-9 win.
CSUN dropped the first game of the Friday doubleheader when the Aggies took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth to break the stalemate. Although CSUN was able to drop three runs in the bottom of the inning and stay neck-and-neck with the Aggies, the Matadors lost the game in the eighth inning after a blown save from right-hander Joshua Romero. CSUN loaded the bases in the ninth inning, but a Sojka groundout ended the game.
Going into the final game of the doubleheader, CSUN’s right-hander Ryan Halamicek started the game on the mound for the Matadors. CSUN took the early lead in the bottom of the first thanks to an RBI single from Jarren Sanderson for a 2-0 lead.
In the third inning, Halamicek faced some trouble from the Aggies when Nick Leehey singled up the middle for an RBI and Braydon Wooldridge fouled out for a sacrifice fly when Mark Wolbert came in to score. The Aggies tied the game at two apiece and gave the Matadors some trouble heading towards the bottom of the third.
But it would be reigning Big West Field Player of the Year Kevin Fitzer who would help end the early stalemate as he homered to left center in the third and in the sixth to give the Matadors a two-run lead. Fitzer became the first Matador this season to hit two home runs in a game and finished a triple shy of the cycle in game two.
After Fitzer’s blast, Andrew Gauna came up to plate for CSUN with Griffin in scoring position and homered to left center to add two runs to the lead for the Matadors.
Gauna spoke after the game about his home run and the way the team has been playing as of late.
“I gave it all and left it all out in the field. That first game left a sour taste in my mouth and I felt I had to pick up that energy myself in order to help the team win and get them going,” Gauna said. “After the first loss, we had a chip on our shoulder, and we came out with a lot more energy in the second game.”
Gauna drove in three runs in the second game, just behind his teammate, Fitzer, who drove in four. Both players batted in seven of the 11 runs scored for the Matadors.
In the seventh inning, Halamicek came out for Diego Gutierrez which would end the right-hander’s day with a win and three strikeouts after 6.1 innings. Gutierrez gave the Matadors two shutout innings, and Gerald Hanson and Kenji Pallares also contributed out of the bullpen to secure the series win for CSUN.
The win at home marks the sixth straight series win the Matadors have over UC Davis. CSUN improved to 6-3 in the Big West and 16-11 overall.
CSUN has the next few days off as they look to prepare for a Power Five non-conference series on the road at Utah starting April 5th.
