After losing the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, 14-4, Seattle University fought back from an early deficit to tie the second game, but Cal State Northridge scored a late run and held on for a 4-3 win to sweep the twinbill in collegiate baseball action at Matador Field.
Down 3-0 after two innings of game two, Seattle U started its comeback in the third inning when Chase Fields (Ontario, Ore.), Cullen Hendrickson (Auburn, Wash.), and Michael McCann (Vancouver, Wash.) all singled to load the bases with nobody out. Brock Carpenter (Milton, Wash.) drove in Fields with a sacrifice fly to center field, but Matador starter John Salas induced an inning-ending double play to end the threat.
In the top of the fifth inning, McCann hit a one-out single up the middle and came around to score on a double to left field by Carpenter, who advanced to third on the throw home. After a Cal State Northridge pitching change, Brian Olson (Black Diamond, Wash.) drove in Carpenter with a groundout to second base. Landon Cray (Chimacum, Wash.) extended the inning with a single, stole second base, and advanced to third on a Matador throwing error, but he was stranded there.
Seattle U had chances to take the lead in the next two innings, but the Redhawks left the bases loaded in the sixth and stranded two more runners in the seventh. In the bottom of the seventh, Dylan Alexander drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on a single by Ranny Lowe. Will Dennis (Saratoga, Calif.) came on in relief of Garrett Anderson (Kennewick, Wash.), but Ryan Raslowsky was able to draw a walk to load the bases, and Chester Pak followed with a sacrifice fly that drove in pinch runner Devin Harrison with the go-ahead run.
Calvin Copping picked up the victory for the Matadors after pitching 2 1/3 innings of one-hit relief, picking up two strikeouts along the way. Anderson took the loss despite a solid relief appearance, giving up just three hits, one walk, and one run in 3 2/3 innings on the mound. The Redhawks earned more hits than the Matadors in the nightcap, 13-11, but left 13 runners on base and also hit into two double plays.
“We once again fell behind and could not get the big hit to separate the score. You cannot win too many games when you leave 13 guys on base after getting 13 hits. We need to compete in all aspects of the game better tomorrow and work to get out of here with a split,” Seattle U head coach Donny Harrel said.
Cal State Northridge (4-3) got off to a strong start in the bottom of the first inning of game one, as Lowe, Raslowsky, and Pak led off with consecutive singles to load the bases. Alexis Mercado drove in Lowe with a groundout to second base, and Brett Balkan’s groundout to the same spot scored Raslowsky. Michael Livingston drove in Pak with a two-out single to center field, followed by an infield single by Nicolas Osuna, but Redhawk starter Andrew Olson (Enumclaw, Wash.) struck out William Colantono to end the inning.
In the top of the third inning, Cray was hit by a pitch, Fields reached on a bunt single, and McCann was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Matador starter Brycen Rutherford continued to have control problems, hitting Hendrickson with a pitch to force in Cray with the Redhawks’ first run of the game. However, Rutherford induced an inning-ending double play to stop the Redhawk threat.
The Matadors responded in the bottom of the third as Mercado and Balkan notched back-to-back singles, and Livingston followed with a double to right field to bring both runners home. Osuna singled to right field to put runners at the corners, and Livingston was credited with a steal of home as he scored before an inning-ending double play.
In the top of the fourth inning, Carpenter hit a one-out double to left field, and he would come around to score on a two-out infield single by Cash McGuire (Kent, Wash.). Cray followed with a single to right field, but McGuire was cut down trying to advance from first to third base on the play, ending the Redhawk threat with the Matadors still on top, 6-2.
Cal State Northridge scored three runs in the fifth inning, four runs in the sixth inning, and one more in the seventh inning to put the game away. The Redhawks were held off the scoreboard until the ninth inning when Sam Finfer (Bellevue, Wash.) led off with a double, advanced to third on a single by Carpenter, and scored on a single by pinch hitter Colin Peterson (Bellingham, Wash.). After Cray singled to load the bases, Grant Newton drove in pinch runner Nelson Taylor (Seattle, Wash.) with a single to left-center field, but a double play ended the inning and the game.
Olson took the loss for the Redhawks, allowing 12 hits and nine runs, eight of them earned, in 4 1/3 innings of work. Rutherford earned the victory for the Matadors, giving up six hits and two runs in seven innings on the mound while striking out four batters. Cal State Northridge finished with 20 hits in the game, led by Mercado’s 4-for-5 performance with three runs scored and three RBI, while Cray led Seattle U offensively by going 3-for-3.
Seattle University (4-3) completes the weekend series against Cal State Northridge Sunday, Feb. 23, starting at 12 noon at Matador Field. Links to live stats and live audio are available on the baseball schedule page of GoSeattleU.com.