CBB News Sources
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. – Cal State Northridge swept a Big West Conference baseball series for the first time since 2004, defeating Cal Poly 8-3 Sunday afternoon at Matador Field.
Cal Poly, despite pounding out 13 hits, all singles, has lost four straight, 10 of 12 and falls to 9-17 on the year and 1-5 in Big West games. Cal State Northridge improved to 13-13 overall and 3-3 in conference games.
The Matadors, who turned four double plays Sunday, won Friday 9-7 and Saturday 3-2 in 10 innings, winning a Big West series for the first time in three years and posting a Big West series sweep for the first time in four seasons.
Cal Poly scored in the first inning for the 17th time in 26 games Sunday, tallying two on four singles for a 2-0 lead. Junior third baseman Brent Morel and junior left fielder Ryan Lee knocked in the runs with singles.
Cal State Northridge grabbed a 3-2 lead with a run in the first and two more in the second.
The Mustangs tied the game at 3-3 in the third inning as junior center fielder Logan Schafer drew a walk and eventually scored on an infield single by sophomore first baseman Wes Dorrell.
But the host Matadors shattered the deadlock with a four-run third-inning uprising. The three hits in the rally included a two-run triple by outfielder C.J. Belanger.
Cal State Northridge added to its 7-3 lead with a run in the sixth, an inning in which Mustang catcher Josh Thomas was ejected after a collision with Justin DeMarco.
DeMarco tried to score from third base on a fly ball to center field, but Schafer recorded his third assist of the season, throwing a strike to Thomas to nail DeMarco. DeMarco did not attempt to go around Thomas, instead colliding with the Mustang catcher in an attempt to dislodge the ball.
Thomas was ejected for shoving DeMarco after the play, but the Matador outfielder was allowed to stay in the game as plate umpire Joe Maiden ruled that the collision was not malicious or flagrant.
Cal Poly left two runners on base in the seventh, another in the eighth and one more at third base in the ninth. For the game, the Mustangs stranded 12 runners.
The Mustangs were swept by the Matadors in a non-conference series in 2006 and in a Western Athletic Conference series in 1996, but never in Big West play until this weekend.
Lee went 4-for-5 while sophomore center fielder Luke Yoder and Dorrell each had three hits for the Mustangs. The Matadors were led by Belanger with three hits, including a double and triple, and second baseman TS Reed with two hits.
Mustang sophomore right-hander Steven Fischback (3-3) allowed eight runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings, walking one and striking out five. Peter Mendez (1-0), the second of six Matador pitchers, earned the win, allowing a run and three hits in two innings.
