NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — The CSUN Matadors baseball team saw a promising early lead slip away Sunday, falling to Western Michigan 10-5 at Robert J. Hiegert Field. Despite a strong offensive showing from Matthew Thomas, who homered for the second consecutive day, and a fourth-inning surge that put CSUN ahead, the Broncos rallied with a series of home runs and capitalized on Matador pitching struggles to secure the series finale win. The loss drops CSUN to 6-5 on the season, although Western Michigan improves to 4-7.
Thomas’s early power set the tone for the Matadors, launching a solo home run to left center in the bottom of the first inning to give CSUN a 1-0 advantage. The early lead, yet, proved fleeting. Western Michigan responded in the third inning with a two-run home run from Michael Maloney, shifting the momentum and putting the Broncos ahead. The Matadors’ offense quickly answered, though, exploding for four runs in the fourth.
Matadors’ Fourth-Inning Rally Short-Lived
CSUN loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, setting the stage for a productive inning. Mateo Rickman delivered a two-run double to left center, regaining the lead for the Matadors at 3-2. The rally continued when a ground ball hit by Trent Abel was mishandled by the Western Michigan shortstop, allowing both Will Linberg and Rickman to score, extending CSUN’s lead to 5-2. The Matadors’ offensive burst appeared to give them control of the game, but Western Michigan quickly countered.
The Broncos chipped away at the lead in the fifth, starting with a leadoff home run by Jacob Rowold. CSUN starting pitcher Gabriel Hernandez then walked a batter before being replaced by Lucas Alaniz. Alaniz struggled to contain the Broncos’ offense, and Western Michigan quickly loaded the bases. A fielder’s choice by Maloney brought in another run, and a subsequent hit batter loaded the bases once more, setting the stage for a three-run double by Connor Ostrander, which put Western Michigan ahead 7-5.
Broncos Extend Lead with Back-to-Back Home Runs
Western Michigan continued to build their lead in the seventh inning, delivering a decisive blow with back-to-back home runs. Lucas Rick hit a two-run shot, followed immediately by a solo home run from Ostrander, pushing the Broncos’ advantage to 10-5. The Matadors were unable to respond, remaining scoreless over the final five innings.
CSUN’s offensive struggles after the fourth inning were compounded by four double plays throughout the game, three of which ended innings and stifled potential rallies. Despite the loss, Thomas continued his impressive hitting streak, recording his fifth multi-hit game of the season and extending his hitting streak to six consecutive games. He now has 13 multiple-hit games this season, according to CSUN Athletics.
Pitching Changes and Defensive Struggles
The Matadors utilized multiple pitchers in an attempt to contain the Broncos’ offense. DJ Thompson allowed just one hit over 2.1 innings of relief, while Turner Dorran finished the game with 2.2 shutout innings, allowing only one hit. However, the early struggles of Hernandez and the inability of Alaniz to stem the tide in the fifth proved crucial. Hernandez finished with four innings pitched, allowing four runs on four hits.
Jaiden Turner pitched the final two innings for CSUN, striking out three batters while allowing just one hit. Logan Miller likewise saw action, retiring both batters he faced in the seventh inning. Despite the strong performances from Thompson, Dorran, Turner, and Miller, the early damage proved too much for the Matadors to overcome.
Coach Cornejo Takes Responsibility
CSUN head coach Eddie Cornejo acknowledged the team’s struggles, taking responsibility for the loss. “We had great baseball for a short period of time but that crooked number deflated us,” Cornejo said, referring to the Broncos’ big inning. “We’ve got to do a better job of coaching them, I blame myself with the way I managed and the way I handled the bullpen. That’s my fault. We could have done some things different. The inability to minimize those big innings causes crooked numbers. We gave up the home run and we didn’t respond the right way. We walked one and hit three batters, that can’t happen at the Division I level.”
The Matadors will look to rebound as they conclude their homestand on Tuesday against Michigan at 5 p.m. On ESPN+. Ghizal Hasan will be on the call, according to CSUN Athletics. Fans can locate more information and updates on the CSUN Athletics website: https://gomatadors.com/.
This loss to Western Michigan highlights the challenges facing the CSUN baseball program as they navigate the early stages of the season. The team will need to address their pitching consistency and ability to minimize big innings if they hope to improve their record and compete for a conference championship. The upcoming game against Michigan presents an opportunity to reset and demonstrate their resilience.
