The CSUN baseball team came into the ninth inning in Sunday afternoon’s rubber match vs. Hawai’i with a 10-4 lead, needing only three outs to get a much-needed conference series win and momentum heading into a big week for the program.
However, Hawai’i rattled off 10 runs in the final inning to seal a series win in the 14-10 thriller for the Rainbow Warriors at Robert J. Hiegert Field. It’s the last time CSUN will host Hawai’i (20-6, 8-4) as Big West Conference foes as the Bows are moving to the Mountain West in 2026.
Before the ninth inning, the Matadors (6-17, 3-9) had rallied for three runs in the bottom of the eighth to provide extra run support. An RBI double was followed by a two-run home run from Xavier Rios, which ended up being his second long ball of the day to increase the Matadors’ lead to six runs.
Rios took his coach’s advice to heart and adjusted his approach, resulting in the big day at the plate for the junior catcher.
“I felt my swing being a little too big. The coach told me to just simplify, saw what I was able to get and worked a good count and got my swing off,” said Rios.
Heading into the top of the ninth, Hawai’i did not go down without a fight, forcing CSUN reliever Gabriel Hernandez out of the game after allowing the first three runners to reach before a detrimental grand slam narrowed the Matadors’ lead to just two runs.
Former Matador Shunsuke Sakaino took the wind out of his former team’s sail, lifting a game-tying home run to left center field.
In a game of improbability, the Bows did the unthinkable, scoring four more runs to take a 14-10 lead into the bottom half of the inning.
Stunned by what just occurred at the top of the frame, the Matadors were set down to end the game and complete the comeback for Hawai’i.
Despite the gut-wrenching loss, Rios tried to keep a positive outlook on the day. He finished 2-4 at the plate, hitting his first and second career home runs while plating five runners home.
“I think we did some really good things, but we just came up short in the end, kind of lost a bit of our mentality, but we know that. I’m not worried at all, I think we can still be a very good team,” said Rios.
It was a game of blown leads for the Matadors as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead early in the game before Hawai’i struck back with three runs of their own in the top of the fifth.
CSUN’s starting pitcher, Max Mendes, gave it all he could in his third start of the season. The freshman tossed six innings of three-run ball, allowing three hits and struck out four. Mendes had a no-hitter going into the fifth inning before surrendering three runs on five pitches.
Mendes highlighted his attack mode approach to his start.
“I kind of just went into this game just in attack mode. I was falling behind a lot, the fastball was working well and my slider as well. I just wanted to go out there and attack guys when I fell behind.”
Mendes said the team can bounce back, noting the team in their upcoming schedule.
“We got two midweeks coming up with Saint Mary’s and San Francisco, and we played well against Saint Mary’s in the fall. We haven’t seen San Francisco, but I got a lot of confidence in this team to bounce back because we always usually do,” said Mendes.
The Matadors now shift their focus quickly to the road as they face Saint Mary’s on Tuesday, April 1, at 3 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
