Despite the fact that Seattle University had a 3-11 record going into its four game series with CSUN, Matador head coach Steve Rousey knew that the Redhawks would be no pushover and would compete against the Matadors, who were traveling outside of California for the first time this season.
The opening game of the series on Friday night went 13 innings. Freshman catcher Marty Bowen’s double in the top of the 13th inning proved to be the winning hit. It drove in pinch runner Billy Swanson, who was running for Brad Decater, who led the 13th with a single, in the Matadors 5-4 victory.
With the score tied 1-1 in the sixth inning, the Matadors had the bases loaded and no outs. CJ Belanger drove in the first run of the inning on a sacrifice fly out to right field, which drove in Ryan Pineda. The Redhawks made a pitching change, bringing in Brandon Kizer to replace Cody Goodfellow. Kizer threw a pitch past the catcher, which brought in Dominic D’Anna.
The Matadors were able to score their third run in the inning thanks to a throwing error by the Redhawks that allowed Brad Decater to score giving the Matadors a 4-1 lead.
The Redhawks responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth, and tied the score in the seventh. The score remained tied until Bowen’s double in the 13th inning.
In the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday, CSUN jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on Ridge Carpenter’s two-run homer in the third inning. The Redhawks scored two runs of their own in the bottom of the third to tie the game.
The Matadors retook the lead in the fourth inning on Nate Ring’s first home run of the season, a solo shot. The difference in the game came in the fifth inning, when Justin DeMarco hit his first career grand slam, which gave the Matadors a 7-2 lead. The Matadors held on to win the game 10-5.
In the second game of the doubleheader, the Matadors sent pitcher Shawn Wilyman to the mound. Wilyman was hoping to rebound from his last start, a loss to LMU where he lasted 2 2/3 innings and gave up nine earned runs.
After giving up two runs in the first inning, Wilyman held the Redhawks to just one run over the next six innings, and struck out four batters, and picked up his first win of the season, as the Matadors swept the doubleheader with a 6-4 come from behind victory.
Trailing 3-1 in the sixth inning, the Matadors got within one run thanks to a solo home run by Ryan Pineda. The Matadors tied the game in the seventh when TS Reed drove in Nate Ring on a sacrifice fly.
Dominic D’Anna put the Matadors ahead with his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot, that gave the Matadors a 5-3 lead.
The Matadors and the Redhawks concluded the four game series on Sunday but results weren’t available before press time.
