The CSUN baseball team (1-3) dropped their home opener against BYU (3-3) in a wild 19-3 loss on Thursday night.
Despite the loss, it was a night to remember for the program as it was their first-ever home night game after getting lights installed over the offseason at their newly renamed field, Robert J. Hiegert Field.
BYU wasted no time getting on the board early, sending nine players to the plate
and smacking four home runs in the top of the first inning to jump out to a 6-0 lead.
CSUN infielder Roberto Gonzalez hit a leadoff single to get things going in the bottom of the first, extending his hit streak to four games. The Matadors would get two runners on base but ended up leaving them stranded.
The top half of the second inning was a lot smoother for CSUN starting right-handed pitcher Ryan Halamicek as he retired the side in order.
CSUN got another runner in scoring position but left him on base. That was one of the game’s major factors, as the Matadors stranded seven runners and managed just five hits all night.
Although BYU had left about the same amount of runners on base, they put together 18 hits. They did more damage in the third inning as they knocked out CSUN’s starter after back-to-back home runs off Halamicek.
The Matadors’ starting pitcher ended his night, allowing eight earned runs on eight hits in two innings. Jason Davis came in to relieve CSUN in the top of the third inning, allowing three home runs before closing the inning.
A home run from CSUN two-way player Tyler Mejia in the bottom half of the fourth inning got the Matadors on the board. An inning later, the Matadors loaded the bases with two men crossing the plate, but BYU still held a large lead of 12-3.
The Cougars added five more runs in the ninth inning with a three-run shot for their tenth and final home run of the night.
BYU head coach Trent Pratt said the windy night helped carry the ball over the fence many times throughout the game.
“We did a better job at staying on the fastball. We took some good swings,” Pratt said. “ I think a lot of those [homeruns], the wind kinda helped blow those out. There might’ve been a couple of real ones, but to hit 10 in a game, I think we had a little help.”
CSUN head coach Eddie Cornejo explained his team’s struggles and outcomes on the night.
“They [BYU] hit the ball in the air today with the wind blowing out and we hit the ball in the ground, so we did the opposite of them and we deserved the result because of it,” Cornejo said. “We need to make more drastic adjustments, coach them better, play better baseball overall and have them better prepared.”
CSUN will look to even the series up vs. BYU on Friday, Feb. 21, at 4:30 p.m. at Robert J. Heigert Field for the second game in this three-game series.
