Rogers, Gates pace win in split CSUN doubleheader

BYU vs. CSUN game two box score

BYU vs. CSUN game three box score

NORTHRIDGE, California (February 17, 2018)—Pitchers Hayden Rogers and Riley Gates combined for a 6-5 victory for BYU baseball in the nightcap after CSUN won Saturday’s first game, 10-9.

The southpaw senior duo foiled the Matadors’ second come-from-behind attempt of the day as the Cougars improved to 2-1.

Rogers was the starting and winning pitcher, walking none in 7.1 innings. Gates followed suit, also walking none, and picked up his second save in as many days, striking out four Matadors in 1.2 innings in game three of the series.

“Hayden (Rogers) gave us the start we needed in game two,” BYU coach Mike Littlewood said. “I was really proud of the guys for battling in game two after losing first game the way we did.”

A hat trick in the form of a trio of three-run homers lifted CSUN to a come-from-behind 10-9 victory in the opener of Saturday’s twin bill.

“I thought Ryan (Brady) did a great job for his first college start,” Littlewood said. “He was a little amped up and left a pitch or two to over the middle of the plate, but for the most part he settled in and did a nice job. We just need to make better pitches out of the pen. We literally made four or five bad pitches and they all ended up leaving the park.”

Freshman Brady got off to a rough start, surrendering a three-run homer, but he struck out three. He went four innings before leaving the game with six strikeouts and a 9-4 lead.

BYU loaded the bases, started by Nate Favero’s double to right-center. That set the table for three runs to tie the game. Brennon Anderson drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in Favero. Then Daniel Schneemann stroked a two-run single to centerfield.

BYU took a brief 4-3 lead as Brock Hale led off the third with a home run to left-center. The Matadors responded with a leadoff homer in the bottom of that frame to tie the game.

Kyle Dean hit a three-run double to leftfield to give the Cougars an 8-4 lead. Then David Clawson singled in Dean, still with one out, for a 9-4 margin.

CSUN got a three-run homer by Albee Weiss, his second of the day, this time off reliever Rhett Parkinson in the fifth to close the gap to 9-7.

While there were no home runs in game two, each team hit three doubles in that contest.

First baseman Brian Hsu accounted for two of BYU’s six runs in the win, knocking doubles in the first and third innings. Hsu’s second double advanced Jarrett Perns to third, and both scored the first runs of the nightcap when Keaton Kringlen singled to shortstop who committed an error.

Hsu led BYU hitters going 3-for-4 in the nightcap and was 2-for-4 in game two of the series. However, it was Casey Jacobsen, Hsu’s replacement in the eighth inning, who ended up with the game-winning RBI.

Jacobsen hit a two-out single through the right side to plate Clawson, who had doubled, to give BYU a 6-1 lead. That cushion nearly vanished as the Matadors chased Rogers, then reliever Jake Suddreth, off the mound their four-run eighth inning.

The Cougars speak at a Sunday fireside in nearby La Verne, then close the four-game series at CSUN on Monday at 1 p.m. PST.