Cal-State Northridge Archive

SoCal Weekend Wrap: Conference Battles

– May 14, 2013Posted in: 2013 Season Coverage, Big West, CBD Column, Mountain West, Pac 12, West Coast Conference

Taylor Sparks led Irvine to a big series win.

There were some matchups with big postseason potential implications this weekend as 10 of the 11 SoCal squads took to the diamond. The Big West featured some crucial matchups with four teams chasing after Cal State Fullerton.

This week’s action featured seven pitchers throwing complete games, yet the Pitcher of the Week did not. San Diego’s Kris Bryant hit five round trippers last week. He hit his nation’s best 26th, 27th and 28th homers over the weekend, but he didn’t earn the Hitter of the Week honor this week. Instead, he was bested by a teammate.

We provided you with live updates on Twitter (@SoCal_CBDaily) throughout the weekend, but here’s a recap of all the weekend action:

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CBD Visit: Two-Way Robby Nesovic Leads Gauchos to 6-2 Win

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– May 12, 2013Posted in: 2013 Season Coverage, Big West, CBD Interview, CBD Visit, Interviews with Coaches, Interviews with Players

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — Robby Nesovic pitched six strong innings and pitched in a pair of hits, including a two-run double, to help UC Santa Barbara take a 6-2 win at Cal State Northridge’s Matador Field Saturday afternoon.

The Gauchos (27-20, 12-8) took advantage of three Northridge errors to score an error-asssisted run in the third inning and another in the fifth inning. Joey Epperson also hit a solo homer to left field to lead off the fifth inning, giving Nesovic a 3-0 lead. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Big West, Cal-State Northridge, CBD Interview, CBD Visit, Interviews with Coaches, Interviews with Players, UC-Santa Barbara

CBD Photo Gallery: Gauchos Escape Late Jam, Take Series

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– May 12, 2013Posted in: 2013 Season Coverage, Big West, CBD Photo Gallery

Photos Courtesy of David Cohen.

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — Cal State Northridge brought the tying run to the plate with the bases loaded and no outs in the eighth inning, but couldn’t get the big hit it needed against UC Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara reliever Greg Mahle wriggled off the hook and the Gauchos (27-21, 12-8) took the series with a 6-2 win Saturday afternoon at Matador Field.

Mahle struck out pinch hitter Kyle Ferramola and got a lineout and a groundout to end the inning. He turned the ball over to Santa Barbara closer Dylan Hecht, who pitched a clean 1-2-3 ninth inning to close out Northridge (30-20, 14-6) and give Robby Nesovic the victory. Nesovic pitched six scoreless innings before being removed after walking the first two batters in the seventh inning.

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Tags: Big West, Cal-State Northridge, CBD Photo Gallery, UC-Santa Barbara

CBD Photo Gallery: Santa Barbara Scores Six in Ninth to Take Pitcher’s Duel

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– May 11, 2013Posted in: 2013 Season Coverage, Big West, CBD Photo Gallery

Photos Courtesy of David Cohen.

UC Santa Barbara busted out with six runs to break a scoreless tie in the ninth inning Friday afternoon at Matador Field. The Gauchos (26-20, 11-8) took a 6-1 win in the series opener at Cal State Northridge in a crucial Big West series for both ball clubs.

After Northridge closer Josh Goossen-Brown got a lineout and allowed a 1-2 single to Tyler Kuresa to start the ninth inning, he lost his control. He threw only one more strike to the final five batters he faced.

Cameron Newell singled on a 3-1 pitch. Marc Venning was hit by a 2-0 pitch, loading the bases. Luke Swenson broke the scoreless tie with a four-pitch walk. Jackson Morrow singled home two runs on a 1-0 pitch and Goossen-Brown hit Joey Epperson with his final pitch in a 2-0 count.

The Gauchos added three more runs after Goossen-Brown’s departure with Brandon Trinkwon delivering a two-run single and coming around to score on a passed ball and a wild pitch. Nate Ring knocked a solo homer in the bottom half of the inning to get the Matadors (30-19, 14-5) on the board, but it was too little, too late. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Big West, Cal-State Northridge, CBD Photo Gallery, UC-Santa Barbara

CBD Visit: Northridge Picks Up Big Win at UCLA

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– May 8, 2013Posted in: 2013 Season Coverage, Big West, CBD Interview, CBD Visit, Interviews with Coaches, Pac 12

LOS ANGELES — Cal State Northridge sophomore ace Jerry Keel throws a bullpen on Tuesdays in preparation for his Friday starts. He normally doesn’t do it against the No. 8 team in the country, though.

But with an important non-conference road victory against a top 10 squad in UCLA hanging in the balance, Keel took the ball and toed the rubber at Jackie Robinson Stadium Tuesday evening. The big 6-foot-6 southpaw did his part to pitch in for a great team 4-1 win over the Bruins.

Keel pitched a scoreless eighth inning before turning the ball over to closer Josh Goosen-Brown, who picked up his ninth save of the season with a quick ninth inning.

The Matadors scored three runs on one hit in the first inning and plated one run on three hits the rest of the game. They rode their arms to a victory despite only four hits and leaving nine runners on base in the first six innings — including a whopping seven in scoring position.

“Give Northridge credit,” UCLA head coach John Savage said. “I really thought they outplayed us. They outcompeted our club tonight.” Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Big West, Cal-State Northridge, CBD Interview, CBD Visit, Interviews with Coaches, Pac 12, UCLA

SoCal Weekend Wrap: Finish Strong

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– April 29, 2013Posted in: 2013 Season Coverage, Big West, CBD Column, Mountain West, Pac 12, West Coast Conference

UC Irvine had two walk-off wins.

With conference positioning and potential at-large berths on the line, 10 of the 11 SoCal squads took to the diamond this weekend. (Pepperdine had the week off due to finals and graduation.) There were two big series with teams battling in their respective conference standings, but also playing their way toward the NCAA Tournament bubble.

This week’s action featured a midweek no-hitter and a batter driving in three runs in three consecutive games. San Diego’s Kris Bryant also went deep for his nation’s best 21st and 22nd homers, but he didn’t earn the Hitter of the Week honor this week. Instead, it comes from the Toreros’ crosstown rival.

We provided you with live updates on Twitter (@SoCal_CBDaily) throughout the weekend, but here’s a recap of all the weekend action:

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CBD Photo Gallery: Matt Florer Throws No-Hitter in 5-0 LMU Win

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– April 24, 2013Posted in: 2013 Season Coverage, Big West, CBD Column, CBD Photo Gallery, West Coast Conference

LOS ANGELES — Loyola Marymount left-handed pitcher Matt Florer is going to ache all over when he wakes up Wednesday morning. His teachers will have to forgive him if he sleeps in and is running a little behind.

He is going to be sore…probably real sore after throwing 134 pitches, but Matt Florer is also going to have a cheek-to-cheek smile beaming across his face after he threw a complete game no-hitter, the first by an LMU pitcher since 1980, in a 5-0 win over Cal State Northridge Tuesday afternoon at George Page Stadium.

Florer had only started twice this season. Last week, in a start against USC, he pitched two innings. It was his longest outing of the season. He had only thrown 13 1/3 innings this year and the longest outing of his career was only five innings in a midweek start last season.

So how did Jason Gill get nine innings of no-hit ball from a reliever thrust into the midweek starter spot due to injury? Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Big West, Cal-State Northridge, CBD Photo Gallery, Loyola-Marymount, Matt Florer, West Coast Conference

SoCal Weekend Wrap: Road Warriors

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– April 22, 2013Posted in: 2013 Season Coverage, Big West, CBD Column, Mountain West, Pac 12, West Coast Conference

San Diego State's effort came up just short.

San Diego State’s effort came up short at UNLV.

The SoCal show took to the road with all but one of the 11 Southern California squads playing on the road this weekend. There were some great matchups as three premier conference battles featured top 25 squads and another four series came down to a decisive Sunday showdown.

But for two SoCal squads, the door to the postseason may have slammed shut behind them as they were ushered out by the mighty sweep broom.

We provided you with live updates on Twitter (@SoCal_CBDaily) throughout the weekend, but here’s a recap of all the weekend action:

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CBD Photo Gallery: Irvine Wins Wild Affair With Walk-Off in 11th

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– April 13, 2013Posted in: 2013 Season Coverage, Big West, CBD Photo Gallery

Photos Courtesy of David Cohen.

With a pair of teams entering on five-game winning streaks and a pair of aces on the mound, a close contest was expected, but a back-and-forth extra inning affair assured the UC Irvine and Cal State Northridge fans got their money’s worth Friday Night at Anteater Ballpark.

Taylor Sparks’ 11th inning walk-off single gave Irvine a 4-3 win, but it only came after Northridge tied the game in the eighth inning, escaped jams in the eighth and ninth, took a 10th inning lead only to give the run back and have to get out of another Anteaters threat. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Big West, Cal-State Northridge, CBD Photo Gallery, UC-Irvine

CBD Visit: Matadors Show Resiliency, Limit Kris Bryant in 8-4 Win

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– March 28, 2013Posted in: 2013 Season Coverage, Big West, CBD Interview, CBD Visit, Interviews with Coaches, Interviews with Players, West Coast Conference

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — Cal State Northridge outfielder Nate Ring collected five hits while the pitching staff held Golden Spikes candidate Kris Bryant 0-for-5 for only the second time in his collegiate career as the Matadors defeated San Diego 8-4 Tuesday afternoon at Matador Field.

Northridge (11-12) won its fifth consecutive game with Ring knocking four singles and a two-run double in the seventh inning that put the Matadors ahead for good.

Playing its fifth game in five days, San Diego (16-9) struggled offensively as Bryant and the first five hitters in the Toreros’ lineup combined to go 1-for-21. Northridge starter Brandon Warner (5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, K) and a combination of five relievers held Bryant hitless for only the fifth time this season and stopped his 26-game streak of reaching base at least once that dated back to the final weekend of last season.

The Matadors scored six runs in the seventh and eighth innings to pull away from San Diego after it had tied the game with two runs in the top of the seventh inning. Louis Cohen picked up the win while Anthony Cortez picked up his first collegiate save after he was called on to face Bryant with two on and two out in the ninth inning. Cortez got Bryant to strikeout on a pitch low and away.
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Tags: Big West, Cal-State Northridge, CBD Interview, CBD Visit, Interviews with Coaches, Interviews with Players, Matt Curtis, Nate Ring, Rich Hill, San Diego, West Coast Conference

CBD Photo Gallery: Northridge Wins Battle of the Bullfighters

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– March 27, 2013Posted in: 2013 Season Coverage, Big West, CBD Photo Gallery, West Coast Conference

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — Nate Ring knocked a career-high five hits and the Cal State Northridge pitching staff held the first five batters in San Diego’s lineup to a combined 1-for-21 in an 8-4 victory Tuesday afternoon at Matador Field.

The Matadors (11-12) picked up their fifth straight win thanks to a solid start from Brandon Warner, who did not factor in the decision despite not allowing a hit until the fifth inning, and a resilient lineup.

After a controversial interference call, on a squeeze bunt attempt and errant throw that hit the runner, negated two Northridge runs and helped San Diego (16-9) escape a bases loaded jam without a run scoring, the Toreros immediately put two runs on the board to tie the game 2-2 and seemed to have stolen all the momentum.

But the Matadors didn’t cower or fade. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Big West, Cal-State Northridge, CBD Photo Gallery, San Diego, West Coast Conference

SoCal Weekend Wrap: Devastating Dirtbag Losses

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– March 26, 2013Posted in: 2013 Season Coverage, Big West, CBD Column, Mountain West, Pac 12, West Coast Conference

It was a rough weekend for Long Beach State, who had two very disappointing endings. Outside of the Dirtbags’ struggles against rival Cal State Fullerton, it was a very successful weekend in Southern California as SoCal squads won five of the seven other series that were played.

We provided you with live updates on Twitter (@SoCal_CBDaily) throughout the weekend, but here’s a recap of all the weekend action:

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