University of Washington
Cal State Northridge
First Inning Woes Prove Costly In 3-0 Loss To CSUN
May 17, 2015 | Baseball
SEATTLE – Three Washington pitchers combined to allow just two hits Sunday, but CSUN scored three unearned runs in the first inning and escaped Husky Ballpark with a 3-0 win to sweep the three-game series.
The Matadors (32-22) allowed just four hits and shutout the Huskies (26-25) for a second consecutive game. Rayne Raven (7-3) went seven innings to pick up the win, and Joe Ryan and Conner O'Neil pitched perfect innings in the eighth and ninth, respectively.
The UW bullpen combo of Ryan Schmitten and Troy Rallings combined to allow no runs and just one hit in nine innings of relief. They each struck out three batters – Schmitten doing so in five innings, and Rallings doing so over the final four innings.
But, the offense could never solve the Matadors' pitching staff, which did not allow an earned run in the series and gave up just 12 hits in three games.
For the second straight day, Washington was put behind the eight ball spotting CSUN three runs before they even stepped to the plate.
The Matadors started the first inning with a lead-off single by Ryan Raslowsky and a walk to Elias Orona. When UW starter Josh Fredendall tried to force Raslowsky at third on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Yusuke Akitoshi, he threw the ball into left-field. One run scored on his throwing error and another run scored when left fielder Alex Schmidt misplayed the ball in the outfield.
Akitoshi eventually came around to score on a ground out to make it 3-0, the eventual final score.
Fredendall, who turned 24 on Saturday, lasted only three batters. He allowed three runs – all unearned – before handing the ball over to Schmitten.
Schmitten kept the Huskies in the game, retiring the first 14 batters he faced until allowing a two-out single in the fifth to William Colantono. Rallings took over in the sixth and set down all 12 batters he faced.
The Huskies had only five runners on base all game, and their best chances to score came in the third and fourth innings, when they had a runner at third with less than two outs in each inning. But a double play ended the threat in the third, and a strikeout, followed by a ground out ended the fourth-inning threat.
Nyles Nygaard was the only player to reach base twice during the day for the Huskies. He singled and walked and was 1 for 2 overall.
Washington returns to Pac-12 action next week, hosting Utah for the final three games of the season. All three games will be carried on the Pac-12 Networks.
CSUN 3, Washington 0
CSUN 300 000 000 –- 3 2 0
WASH 000 000 000 –- 0 4 2
LOB: CSUN 1, UW 3. Rayne Raven, Joe Ryan (8), Conner O'Neil (9) and Dylan Alexander; Josh Fredendall, Ryan Schmitten (1), Troy Rallings (6) and Austin Rei. W – Raven (7-3). L – Fredendall (3-2). Sv – O'Neil (11). HR – none. 3B – none. 2B – UW, Austin Rei. Time – 2:04. Attendance – 900.
