CSUN welcomed the Michigan Wolverines for a non-conference matchup Tuesday night at Robert J. Hiegert Field. Down by seven, CSUN scored eight unanswered runs, making a comeback and stealing the victory from Michigan.
The intense game stretched for 12 innings and ended in a score of 9-8.
After a silent first inning from both sides, the Matadors initiated the scoring in the second inning with a solo shot off the bat of Big West player of the week Matthew Thomas. It was Thomas’ seventh home run of the season, putting him at the top of the conference.
Thomas is the first Matador since 2024 to earn this honor.
“It was a tough weekend, but the award is flattering,” Thomas said. “Today feels really good. Just a big team win and definitely there’s a lot of hard work, a lot of behind the scenes work, but just grateful and blessed at the same time.”
The lead was quickly taken back by the Wolverines in the top of the third inning, after an offensive onslaught ensued, capped off by a two-run home run from infielder Cade Ladehoff to give Michigan a 6-1 lead.
Matadors pitcher Charles Rodgers gave up four of the six runs in just 1.2 innings of work. Rodgers was not able to build off his last appearance against Western Michigan, where he gave just one hit and one run in 3.1 innings.
The following inning saw the Wolverines add to their lead off a two-run double, making it a steep 8-1 hole for the Matadors.
CSUN outfielder Andrew Becker added another run for the Matadors in the fourth inning to make it 8-2. Wolverines starting pitcher David Lally Jr. was dealing through five innings despite the two mistakes.
Becker finished with his best performance of the season, which saw him go 4-5 from the plate and just a triple shy of the cycle. He credited the scouting report and the batters in front of him for his success at the plate.
“I felt like I got to see the lefties before me and see how they were getting pitched to,” Becker said. “Then I really just used the scouting reports and tried to trust seeing something up and I was able to get something in my zone and take a good swing all night.”
What took place the following inning energized Robert J. Hiegert Field, as the Matadors put on an offensive showcase of their own, fighting all the way back to cut the lead to just one run.
After giving up three triples in one inning, Lally was eventually pulled out of the game, ending his night.
Both teams quieted down offensively as the dust settled – especially Michigan, who put runners on base but could not capitalize on their opportunities.
Down to their final five outs, infielder Trent Abel saved the Matadors’ hopes with a solo shot of his own, tying the ball game up at eight.
The window to win for the Matadors remained open as the Wolverines struggled offensively. CSUN missed on key opportunities in the ninth and 10th inning, putting more pressure on the bullpen to lock down the Wolverines offense.
The game ended in the bottom of the 12th inning, with a runner on second and outfielder Vaughn Coleman at the plate. Coleman smacked a ball just out of the reach of the outfield, netting the final run of the game to walk-off the Wolverines. This gave the team a huge confidence boost moving forward.
“To be honest, I’ve been struggling a lot, so I knew they were going to come and attack me. I got guys behind me who’ve been hammering stuff all night, I knew I was going to get a pitch to hit. That was awesome. I really needed that one,” Coleman said.
One of the unsung heroes of the night was the Matadors bullpen, shutting down Michigan’s offense in the final eight innings of the game.
The Matadors get a few days off before they refocus and set their sights on their opening conference series matchup against UC Irvine starting Friday, March 6, at 6 p.m. on the road. All games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
