The CSUN baseball team opened up a tie game with a five-run fourth inning and never looked back, defeating Long Beach State 18-4 on Saturday afternoon at Robert J. Hiegert Field. The win improves CSUN’s record to 17-13 overall and 8-7 in conference play.
Both teams entered the third inning tied at four runs. In the fourth, CSUN got rolling with a wave of offense, sparked by a three-run home run from junior first baseman Matthew Pena. The inning became a momentum swinger as the Matadors found their footing and began to build a lead that they would not relinquish
“It’s about being disciplined, getting into good counts and looking for a pitch I can drive in my zone,” Pena said.
The Matadors jumped out to an early first-inning lead, led by junior outfielder Matthew Thomas, who set the offensive tone early on. Long Beach State then answered back with four runs in the third inning to tie it at 4-4 for a moment.
CSUN answered immediately in the fourth, using timely hitting and aggressive baserunning to take control of the game. Thomas emphasized how important that early push was for the rest of the team.
“I think from the first inning we built momentum and that carried through the game and helped us get comfortable,” Thomas said. “Yesterday motivated us. We wanted to come out and really take it to them and get a decisive win.”
CSUN’s offense didn’t let up after the first inning, consistently scoring from the fourth through the eighth innings. The Matadors demonstrated they had offensive depth, with various players chipping in during the onslaught.
Junior outfielder Andrew Becker was one such player, hitting a home run and an RBI double. Becker noted the team’s preparation and mentality coming into the game.
“We really locked in on our approach in practice, and I felt ready from the first pitch,” Becker said. “We knew we were the better team, so we came out, played our game and were able to bounce back quickly.”
CSUN increased their lead to 12-4 entering the sixth inning, with other players such as Trent Abel and Thomas continuing to hit. Four more runs were scored in the seventh inning for the Matadors, capped off by catcher Matthew Cormier’s two-run homer. Outfielder Vaughn Coleman and Thomas each recorded another RBI.
CSUN’s bats stayed lively in the eighth, producing two more runs via Abel’s RBI single and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Jehee Lee, increasing the lead to 18-4. The Matadors recorded scoring in five straight innings, battering Long Beach State’s Pitching staff.
On the defensive side, CSUN pitched well after the third inning, shifting Long Beach State, which was unable to put up any additional runs on the board after the third inning. The Matadors didn’t allow Long Beach State a hit over the last six innings, taking home the large margin victory.
Becker spoke about his team being dominant on all sides of the ball.
“It shows we’re resilient and can control all aspects of the game, pitching, defense and offense,” Becker said.
CSUN will play their next game against Pepperdine on Tuesday, April 7, at 5 p.m at Robert J. Hiegert Field.
