The CSUN baseball team (2-4) took down BYU (4-4) on Saturday afternoon to close out the first home series of the season at Hiegert Field in a 9-4 win. The offensive outburst from the Matadors salvaged a potential sweep for the Cougars.
The Matadors celebrated junior pitcher Noah Rinehart’s first season start since returning from injury. Rinehart reflected on the start and what it meant for him.
“You know it’s good to just get back out on the mound and compete again with a group of guys that you enjoy being around. I like the culture we have, and I like being out there competing with these guys,” Rinehart said.
Rinehart had a solid showing in his first start as a Matador. He pitched 4.2 innings and had three strikeouts with 18 batters faced, throwing 44 strikes to 70 total pitches.
Both teams struggled to get on base through multiple stretches of the game. Still, the scoring opened up in the second inning as BYU outfielder Bryker Hurdsman brought in first baseman Cooper Vest on a ground ball through the right side.
CSUN first flipped the game in their favor in the bottom of the third. Senior catcher Matthew Kurata hit a thunderous home run over left field, causing a breakdown in the Cougars’ bullpen.
BYU junior Garrison Sumner walked in two runners, gave up five total walks and was eventually replaced by sophomore Brayden Marx. However, the Matadors scored one more run off an RBI single by redshirt freshman Kyle Panganiban, giving CSUN a 4-1 lead to start the fourth.
The Matador’s offense stalled over the next two innings, and BYU quickly responded with a run of their own. Vest returned to bat and rocketed a home run over the left wall, bringing in junior Easton Jones. After a pitching change to freshman Max Mendes, the Cougars immediately scored on an RBI single from sophomore Crew McChesney and tied the game.
However, something clicked for CSUN in the sixth inning, and the team gained momentum by scoring four runs on five hits. The sequence was highlighted by a beautiful two-run RBI single by sophomore Elijah Fairchild that went deep into the middle of the field. That closed out the scoring for the game, and only four other hits were allowed for the remaining three innings.
Rinehart emphasized how crucial Saturday’s victory is for the team’s overall season.
“I think this is a big win over a very quality club. They’re very well coached and play a good game of baseball,” Rinehart said. “I think this proves, especially to a lot of the younger guys that haven’t been through it yet, that anybody’s beatable on any given day.”
CSUN hopes to support that sentiment as they prepare for their next series matchup, which will be on the road against the Oklahoma Sooners, starting on Friday, Feb. 28, at L. Dale Mitchell Park.
