Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Drop Opener To Cal State-Northridge
February 24, 2007 | Cowboy Baseball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - Oklahoma State gave up two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning as Cal State-Northridge earned a 9-8 win in the opener of a three-game series Friday at Matador Field.
The Cowboys took an 8-7 lead into the bottom of the ninth, but Amiel Traynum led off the frame with a solo home run off OSU's Jeff Breedlove to tie the score. Breedlove recorded the next two outs, but C.J. Belanger singled and Jorge Andrade, Jr. followed with a double to plate Belanger with the game-winning run.
The loss dropped the 16th-ranked Cowboys to 5-2 on the season, while CSUN improved to 9-6.
OSU trailed for much of the contest as starter Matt Gardner lasted just four innings and allowed six runs on eight hits.
The Cowboys fell behind 5-0 in the first inning. CSUN's Jonathan Sakurai doubled to lead off the frame, and after a balk by Gardner, Todd Shelton brought Sakurai home with an infield single. Kris Kasarjian collected an RBI with another infield single, and on the same play, a throwing error by Matt Mangini brought home another run to give CSUN a 3-0 advantage. Two batters later, the score was 5-0 after John Parham delivered a two-run home run to right field.
CSUN increased its lead to 6-0 in the third on another RBI by Parham, this one on a groundout.
Right hander Joe Rocchio held the Cowboys scoreless through the first five innings, but OSU finally got on the scoreboard in the sixth. And the Pokes did it in a big way.
Ty Wright, who returned to the lineup after missing five games with a back injury, opened the rally with a single. Tyler Mach would walk, which set the table for Matt Mangini, who crushed a three-run home run over the right-field wall. The blast was Mangini's first homer of the season and cut the Cowboys' deficit to 6-3.
The seventh inning was even bigger for OSU as the Cowboys took the lead for the first time in the contest. Trailing by three, the Cowboys erupted for five runs as they sent 10 batters to the plate and blasted a pair of home runs.
Back-to-back walks to Matt Lopez and Keanon Simon started the inning, and Wright followed with an RBI double to make the score 6-4. Corey Brown then gave the Cowboys the lead with a towering three-run home run to right field. Two batters later, Mangini homered again, this one a solo shot, to give OSU an 8-6 advantage.
Todd Shelton trimmed OSU's lead to 8-7 in the bottom of the seventh as he led off with a solo home run to left field. That would be the final run until the dramatic ninth.
Mangini paced the Cowboys' offense with a 2-for-5, four-RBI day, while Corey Brown had three hits and three RBIs in five trips to the plate.
OSU returns to action against the Matadors Saturday at 3 p.m.
