Friday, April 5
3:00 PM
UC Riverside
3
at
5
Cal State Northridge
Photo by: Gabriel L. Acosta
Baseball Drops First Conference Game In 5-3 Loss At Cal State Northridge
4/5/2013 5:45:00 PM | Baseball
Northridge—Cal State Northridge's Matador Field is traditionally the most hitter-friendly park in the Big West, but it was anything but friendly to the Highlanders for most of the day Friday afternoon as CSUN starter Jerry Keel allowed just six hits, striking out a career-high eight batters in a 5-3 victory (Box Score).
The Highlanders (14-11, 3-1) entered the game looking to improve upon their best-ever start in Big West Conference play, but Keel (4-1) had other ideas retiring UCR in order in the first, second, fourth and fifth innings.
UC Riverside loaded the bases in the top of the third thanks to an Alex Rubanowitz single and a pair of walks, but Keel got Devyn Bolasky to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the threat.
The Highlanders picked up two more base hits in the top of the sixth as Bolasky and Clayton Prestridge singled, but they were stranded at second and third on a David Andriese ground out.
Meanwhile, UC Riverside starter Dylan Stuart (3-3), who allowed just nine hits and no earned runs over his last 8.2 innings of work, was roughed up over his four innings on the hill giving up 10 hits and five runs (two of them earned).
After stranding two baserunners in the bottom of the first, the Matadors (14-15, 2-2) banged out four singles in the second to plate two runs, and in the bottom of the fourth, they touched Stuart for a single, a double and a triple to plate three more. That rally was aided by UC Riverside's 46th error of the season, and all three runs in the inning were unearned.
The Highlanders finally got on the scoreboard in the top of the seventh as Cody Hough reached on a hit by pitch to start the inning, and Kyle Boudreau singled to right to put runner on first and second. A Rubanowitz sac bunt moved them each up 90 feet, and Nick Vilter's sac fly to center cut the Matadors lead to 5-1.
Donovan Gonzales relieved Stuart to start the top of the fifth, and threw four scoreless innings to keep the Highlanders in the game, but the UCR offense couldn't quite solve Keel. He retired the side in order in the top of the eighth, and after giving up a singles to Andriese and Hough, he gave way to Oscar Sandoval.
The first batter to face Sandoval was Boudreau who advanced Andriese to third with a fly ball out to center field. The Highlanders then loaded the bases as Rubanowitz was hit by a pitch.
The Matadors then brought in closer Josh Goosen-Brown who gave a single to left to pinch hitter Francisco Tellez that scored Andriese and Hough. The Highlanders went to their bench again bringing Robby Witt to the plate, but his fly ball to center wasn't deep enough to advance either of the runners. That brought Joe Chavez to the plate as the go-ahead run, but he struck out for the final out of the ballgame.
The Highlanders and Matadors play game two of their three-game Big West Conference series on Saturday beginning at 1 pm PT
The Highlanders (14-11, 3-1) entered the game looking to improve upon their best-ever start in Big West Conference play, but Keel (4-1) had other ideas retiring UCR in order in the first, second, fourth and fifth innings.
UC Riverside loaded the bases in the top of the third thanks to an Alex Rubanowitz single and a pair of walks, but Keel got Devyn Bolasky to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the threat.
The Highlanders picked up two more base hits in the top of the sixth as Bolasky and Clayton Prestridge singled, but they were stranded at second and third on a David Andriese ground out.
Meanwhile, UC Riverside starter Dylan Stuart (3-3), who allowed just nine hits and no earned runs over his last 8.2 innings of work, was roughed up over his four innings on the hill giving up 10 hits and five runs (two of them earned).
After stranding two baserunners in the bottom of the first, the Matadors (14-15, 2-2) banged out four singles in the second to plate two runs, and in the bottom of the fourth, they touched Stuart for a single, a double and a triple to plate three more. That rally was aided by UC Riverside's 46th error of the season, and all three runs in the inning were unearned.
The Highlanders finally got on the scoreboard in the top of the seventh as Cody Hough reached on a hit by pitch to start the inning, and Kyle Boudreau singled to right to put runner on first and second. A Rubanowitz sac bunt moved them each up 90 feet, and Nick Vilter's sac fly to center cut the Matadors lead to 5-1.
Donovan Gonzales relieved Stuart to start the top of the fifth, and threw four scoreless innings to keep the Highlanders in the game, but the UCR offense couldn't quite solve Keel. He retired the side in order in the top of the eighth, and after giving up a singles to Andriese and Hough, he gave way to Oscar Sandoval.
The first batter to face Sandoval was Boudreau who advanced Andriese to third with a fly ball out to center field. The Highlanders then loaded the bases as Rubanowitz was hit by a pitch.
The Matadors then brought in closer Josh Goosen-Brown who gave a single to left to pinch hitter Francisco Tellez that scored Andriese and Hough. The Highlanders went to their bench again bringing Robby Witt to the plate, but his fly ball to center wasn't deep enough to advance either of the runners. That brought Joe Chavez to the plate as the go-ahead run, but he struck out for the final out of the ballgame.
The Highlanders and Matadors play game two of their three-game Big West Conference series on Saturday beginning at 1 pm PT
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